Speaking at an event in Colombo earlier this week, Dr Prathiba Mahanamahewa, a former commissioner of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, claimed that “fifty eight military personnel have been banned from travel to various countries as a result of resolutions tabled against Sri Lanka” and warned Colombo against signing up to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Mahanamahewa claimed that signing the Rome Statute and the jurisdiction of the ICC “would create further difficulties for the military”.
He went on to comment on Palestine, noting that recognition of Palestinian statehood was “a hot topic at the UN” and that Sri Lanka, alongside other countries, had shown willingness to support it. He described world leaders leaving the chamber as Israeli premier Netanyahu addressed the UN assembly in New York as “very symbolic”.
Mahanamahewa further argued that the UN Human Rights Council has no authority to decide the fate of a country, insisting that Sri Lanka’s sovereignty is guaranteed by its constitution. “No government in Sri Lanka has ever agreed to any international investigation,” he added.
He decried repeated allegations raised against Sri Lankan soldiers at the UNHRC and resolutions tabled by European states, warning that signing the Rome Statute “will only lead to bad outcomes for Sri Lanka and its soldiers”.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has urged Sri Lanka to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) — a move that would bring both political and military leaders within the reach of international prosecution. Successive Sri Lankan governments, however, have refused to do so, shielding those accused of war crimes and genocide against the Tamil people.
The officers and soldiers of the Sri Lankan military who are under various travel bans stand accused of various crimes against Tamils during the armed conflict, including shelling civilian zones or hospitals, extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances and sexual violence.
