Sri Lanka, the country that the Lonely Planet declared as the top destination of 2019, is a “holiday paradise is polluted by torture and lies,” wrote Freedom from Torture's policy and advocacy director Steve Crawshaw in The Independent last week.

“This failure to confront, let alone prosecute, past crimes provides the climate in which torture and other abuses continue today,” said Crawshaw. “Torture survivors who have received rehabilitation treatment from Freedom from Torture tell us repeatedly of the importance of seeing those who have committed torture brought to account.”

Sri Lanka's foreign minister, Tilak Marapana today reiterated the goverment's rejection of a hybrid court to provide justice for war crimes as layed out in the UN Human Rights Council resolution, stating instead that any transitional justice process would be "firmly grounded in the constitution and the domestic legal framework". 

A Trincomalee villager in Thennamaravaadi this week reported the illegal encroachment of agricultural land by a Sinhala settler. 

Filing a complaint with Pulmoaddai police, Sithamparanathan said that a Sinhala settler was ploughing the land which belonged to him. 

Police have said they will investigate the matter however, local residents expressed doubt. 

"There have been many cases like this and none of them are resolved," one resident told the Tamil Guardian. 

"The Sri Lankan justice system is not able to stop the majority (Sinhala) people encroaching on our lands," he added. 

The German Foreign Ministry’s report on human rights around the world highlighted Sri Lanka’s continuing military occupation of land in the North-East and lack of accountability for crimes committed during the armed conflict last month.

The report, which examines the period from October 2016 until September 2018, stated that “a judicial accountability mechanism to investigate alleged crimes during the civil war also remained unaddressed”. “The government rejected any international involvement in such a judicial body,” it noted.

Indian troops arrived in Sri Lanka this week, as they prepared to take part in the annual ‘Mitra Shakthi’ military exercise. 

The Colombo appointed governor of the Northern Province today claimed the report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) was based on information from "gossip websites". 

Sri Lanka's President's Counsel, Yasantha Kodagoda is to be appointed as President of the Court of Appeal despite years of criticism of his active efforts to delay and deny justice for serious crimes. 

Sri Lanka's SLPP party accused the government of an "unconstitutional" move in co-sponsoring the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution. 

A recently passed UN resolution on accountability on Sri Lanka alone will not lead to change, said UK-based charity Freedom from Torture, calling for clearer timelines on Colombo to deliver on promises made to the international community.

In a press release on Friday, the charity said the adoption of the UN resolution which grants Sri Lanka a further two years to implement a hybrid court with foreign judges to try those accused of violating international law was an “important step but we need a clear plan”.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister claimed to have “preserved Sri Lanka’s sovereignty” at the United Nations Human Rights Council last week, as he doubled down on his government’s stance against an international criminal justice mechanism.