The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has made five key recommendations pertaining to the Bill on the Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka, which was published by way of gazette notification on 29 December 2023.
In a letter addressed to the President, the HRCSL recognized the well-established human right to truth under international law, emphasizing its crucial role in transitional justice.
However, it asserted that the promotion of this right should be aligned with the advancement of other transitional justice pillars, including accountability, reparations, and preventing the recurrence of past injustices.
Accordingly, the HRCSL made the following five key recommendations:
1) Without delay, a high-level committee should be set up under the Presidential Secretariat, comprising pertinent experts and representatives from victim groups and civil society. The primary responsibility of this committee is to oversee the implementation of all positive recommendations from prior truth-seeking mechanisms, including the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
2) Programmes that inform the country as a whole about the findings of previous truth-seeking mechanisms should be carried out.
3) Establish a strong, impartial entity for investigating and prosecuting serious human rights violations and crimes, promptly providing it with essential resources and access to expertise, including international perspectives as needed.
4) Transitional justice in Sri Lanka should address both armed conflicts and civil disturbances, including insurrections, delving into their political and socioeconomic roots for a holistic national reckoning.
5) The Presidential Secretariat should serve as the host for any transitional justice mechanism in Sri Lanka, providing it with the utmost status and significance.