The UN human rights chief called on Sri Lanka to ensure “consistent, comprehensive and accelerated” implementation of a resolution on accountability in an address to the Human Rights Council today, where she urged Colombo to hold perpetrators of crimes to account.

Presenting her report to the council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said her office “encourages” Sri Lanka ”to implement a detailed and comprehensive strategy” for the transitional process with a fixed timeline”. 

Thanking the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for her report, India said it looked forward to "the implementation of its other important commitments made to the international community, including the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka."

Member states urged the UN Human Rights Council to ensure justice is delivered on in Sri Lanka through a time-bound strategy during today's interactive dialogue on the report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with Canada reiterating the call for international judges. 

Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada (LRWC) called on members of the international community to exercise universal jurisdiction “to hold perpetrators of atrocity crimes in Sri Lanka accountable,” in a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council today.

The US State Department released its 2018 report on the human rights this month, raising ongoing concerns in Sri Lanka of impunity, arbitrary detention, unlawful killings, torture, sexual abuse and media intimidation. 

Families of the disappeared across the Eastern Province gathered in Batticaloa today to demand justice and for Sri Lanka to the be referred to the International Criminal Court. 

Sri Lanka’s president said that his government would be marking May 2019 as the “10th anniversary of dawn [of] peace”, at a time when Tamils around the world will be commemorating the tens of thousands massacred by Sri Lankan security forces.

Maithripala Sirisena told an audience of Sri Lankans in Kenya that “a special event will be held in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of dawn peace after the 30-year war” (sic).

Amnesty International has released a report detailing Sri Lanka’s failure to meet its commitments and has called on the international community to reaffirm resolution 30/1, as well as continuing to monitor Sri Lanka’s progression.

A total of seven police officers, including two subinspectors, two police sergeants, two constables and a police driver have been arrested over the abduction and murder of two businessmen from Rathgama in January. A forest ranger from Walasmulla forest reserve has also been arrested in connection with the murders. 

Sri Lanka's opposition leader and former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Saturday the country should not co-sponsor a UN Human Rights Council resolution currently being tabled in Geneva.