The People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) welcomed the UK government's decision to sanction Sri Lankan war criminals but called on the international community to do more to advance accountability for Sri Lanka’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Tamil nation.
Yesterday, the UK government sanctioned senior figures from both the Sri Lankan military and a government-affiliated paramilitary group, including individuals linked to extrajudicial killings, torture, and sexual violence.
In a statement, PEARL said that the "sanctions are a step towards weakening impunity for Sri Lanka’s crimes against Tamils" but noted that "there is still work to do".
The advocacy organisation highlighted that the UK, the lead on the Core Group at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), should ensure that Sri Lanka is "held accountable in a meaningful way". PEARL also urged the UK to pursue other avenues of accountability, including the use of universal jurisdiction and referring Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
PEARL also stated future violence and human rights abuses can only be prevented with justice and a political solution.
This is the first time the UK government has sanctioned Sri Lankan human rights abusers whilst the United States and Canada have already sanctioned several senior Sri Lankan figures.
Read PEARL's full statement here.
