HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA, Annual Report 2020
appealed to the candidates of the political parties / independent groups
contesting the 2020 Parliamentary Elections to refrain from acting in a manner
that would incite hatred or intolerance towards any party based on the existing
social changes in the Sri Lankan society and commenting in such a way as to
cause such feelings. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL)
appealed to all media institutions in Sri Lanka to focus on the media criteria set
by the Election Commission. At its core, the Human Rights Commission of Sri
Lanka (HRCSL) emphasizes the need to refrain from broadcasting, promoting,
or publishing in a manner that would create or incite hatred and intolerance
among the Sri Lankan people based on the differences that exist within Sri
Lanka. And to refrain from broadcasting, advertising, and publishing in a
manner that promotes hate politics in society or in political activists. The Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has issued guidelines to all government
officials and police officers targeting this election. The essence of the guidelines
is that all their duties should be performed in accordance with the law, and that
non-compliance with the law is a violation of the fundamental rights of the
people by abusing power to the advantage of one party. In addition to the
government's liability for rights violations caused by non-compliance with the
law, those officials should be held personally responsible. In addition, the
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has informed the Ministry of
Public Administration and Home Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and the Board of
Investment of Sri Lanka that all citizens, regardless of their place of employment,
should be provided with adequate leave without loss of pay at the forthcoming
General Election. In addition, a special complaint receiving unit was set up for
the2020 parliamentary elections. Accordingly, the Human Rights Commission
monitored the general elections to be held on August 05, 2020, with a special
focus on ensuring that the elections were free, fair, free from influence, and will
not leave anyone behind.
An inquiry was made from the IGP on 21.10.2020 regarding the deaths of the
suspects who were in police custody during this year. The letter drew the
attention of the IGP to this matter and the Commission recommended that
necessary steps be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka conducted a study on prisons from
February 2018 to March 2020. The study focused on the extent to which Sri
Lanka's current prison system operates in line with Sri Lanka's accepted human
rights conventions. A comprehensive report was prepared in this regard and it
contains the current prison system in Sri Lanka, the human rights issues in it,
and the recommendations made by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
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