Sri Lanka has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to reject a forthcoming resolution voicing “serious concern” over the “deteriorating” rights situation in the country…

It “expresses serious concern over emerging trends over the past year, which represent clear early warning signs of a deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka”.

They include the “accelerating militarisation of civilian government functions, erosion of the independence of the judiciary … ongoing impunity and political obstruction of accountability for crimes … surveillance and intimidation of civil society and shrinking democratic space, arbitrary detentions, allegations of torture”.

It also voices concern that the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt freedom of religion.