Nearly four years since the
end of the country’s civil war, Sri Lanka remains a divided, post-war
society, as the ethnic conflict burns on. It has been fifteen months
since the Final Report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission (LLRC) was made public. In July 2012, the GoSL released an
Action Plan to implement the LLRC recommendations, yet little progress
has been made on this front. Instead, a host of problems related to the
judiciary, governance and militarization, among other issues continue to
plague the island nation.
TSA’s third report, The Numbers Never
Lie: A Comprehensive Assessment of Sri Lanka’s LLRC Progress, provides a
detailed look at the Government of Sri Lanka’s LLRC progress that
includes both quantitative and qualitative analysis. TSA surveyed 1,786
households across 208 GN divisions in nine districts throughout the
North, East and Hill Country. In virtually all crucial areas, the GoSL
has failed to implement the recommendations outlined in its own
presidentially appointed commission. From questions related to
disappearance, arbitrary detention and the rule of law to political
rights, language policy, land, compensation and militarization, the GoSL
continues to fall short of expectations. And, disappointingly, a proper
recounting of the war’s final phases – a sine qua non of reconciliation
– has not taken place. Sri Lanka’s grip on reconciliation is more
tenuous than ever and significant changes are urgently needed in order
to ensure that the island does not fall into a more pronounced period of
ethnic strife. This article is intended to provide readers with a brief
glimpse of TSA’s findings, the contents of the report and the urgent
need for more resolute action at the HRC in Geneva.
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