Thread by @amnestysasia

Sri Lanka: Authorities must immediately rescind the emergency regulations and shooting orders that provide excessive powers to the police and military,

amnesty.org/en/latest/news…

and take immediate steps to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of peaceful protestors, @amnesty said today.

#SriLanka #protestLK #SriLankaCrisis #lka

“Authorities in Sri Lanka should carry out a prompt, thorough, impartial, independent, effective and transparent investigation into the reports of violent attacks on peaceful protesters. Authorities should bring to justice those suspected to be responsible and ensure

access to justice and effective remedies for victims.

The attacks look like a deliberate decision by the Police to allow pro-government groups to physically assault peaceful protesters, destroy structures and wreak havoc at the ‘Gotagogama’ protest site.

The authorities have an obligation to provide an enabling environment for the protesters to peacefully exercise their human rights, and to end the violent attacks on protesters.”

@Yamini___Mishra

“An effective and transparent inquiry is necessary to bring those responsible for the violence to justice. The country is headed towards a deepening crisis while accountability and solutions for the economic crisis – key calls by the protesters – go completely unaddressed.

Right now, Sri Lanka is a tinderbox, and any move to impermissibly restrict human rights through sweeping emergency powers granted to law enforcement agencies, including the armed forces, – will lead to further repression.” @Yamini___Mishra @amnesty

The shooting orders provide a license to kill. Violent mobs should be contained, however lethal force must not be the first resort. Any restrictions on human rights during times of emergency must be necessary and proportionate to the exigencies of the situation and must not

be used as a tool against freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, right to personal security, liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention.

Further, any derogations from human rights guarantees under the ICCPR, to which Sri Lanka is a state party,

should be formally communicated with a clear explanation of the reasons for them to other State parties.” @Yamini___Mishra