Weeks after the publication of a damning new United Nations on sexual violence committed by Sri Lankan forces, senior figures within the government have claimed they have neither formally received nor reviewed the findings.
The report, titled Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka, was issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 13 January, documenting sexual violence committed by Sri Lankan troops, with credible allegations continuing as recently as 2024.
Despite the gravity of the findings, ministers responsible for justice, public security, and women and child affairs have publicly stated that they remain unaware of the report’s contents. Attempts to seek clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the primary channel for UN communications, have been met with silence or administrative deflection, according to The Sunday Morning.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara said he had not yet reviewed the report.
“That report may have been received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I am not certain to whom it has been forwarded yet, but I have not received this report. Once the report is formally received, if there are matters that require investigation, it will be referred to the relevant agencies and we will be able to provide responses.”
He added: “First, we need to define what constitutes a war crime. War crimes are acts committed during the period of armed conflict that violate international humanitarian law. That said, we investigate all crimes, any crime that has taken place.”
Pressed on the statute of limitations, Nanayakkara argued: “For certain criminal actions, such as murder, there is no prescription period.” However, he conceded that torture and sexual violence carry prescription limits, stating: “That depends on the specific offence. Investigations rely on available evidence, and those investigations are not conducted by my ministry.”
He categorically ruled out hybrid courts or accession to the Rome Statute and International Criminal Court (ICC), stating: “At present, there is no discussion, committee, or commission looking into hybrid courts.”
Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Dr. Namal Sudarshana also claimed a lack of access to the full report.
Addressing land occupied by the armed forces, a recurring grievance highlighted in the report, he asserted that such lands should be released and repurposed. “There are also lands and housing units currently under the control of the armed forces, and concerns have been raised regarding alleged misuse of some of these properties,” he said. “It is not the Government’s intention to retain such lands indefinitely. These properties must be released and redistributed for the benefit of the civilian population in the north.”
In contrast to the cautious procedural responses of civilian ministries, the security establishment rejected the UN’s allegations outright. Ministry of Defence Spokesperson Brigadier Franklin Joseph stated: “We categorically deny any and all allegations against the armed forces.”
Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala said his ministry had not been contacted regarding the report. “If the report exists, then the Foreign Ministry has not referred anything to us yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ministry Spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo admitted to a “breakdown in communication”, stating that despite initiating contact with relevant officials, no response had been forthcoming days later. With Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra unavailable, the ministry offered no substantive response.
Read more from the Sunday Morning here.
