Volker Türk Urges Justice and Truth for Sri Lanka’s Past

COLOMBO (News 1st); United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on the Sri Lankan government to build on recent progress in acknowledging past injustices and to translate public commitments into tangible actions that promote truth, justice, and reconciliation.

Speaking to reporters in Colombo on Thursday (26) during his visit to Sri Lanka, Türk commended President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for publicly recognizing the shared pain and grief experienced by individuals across all communities. He emphasized that such acknowledgment is a vital step toward healing and closure.

“The legacy of the past presents a daunting challenge for the new government,” Türk said. “Acknowledgement and truth-telling are important steps toward healing and closure, as are justice, reparation, and non-recurrence.”

He noted that Sri Lanka has faced difficulties in establishing domestic accountability mechanisms that are both credible and trusted by victims. As a result, many Sri Lankans have sought justice through international support.

Türk reaffirmed the role of the UN Human Rights Office in supporting these efforts, highlighting a dedicated project aimed at gathering and preserving information on human rights violations. He expressed hope that this initiative would aid future accountability processes both within Sri Lanka and globally.

He also welcomed the reopening of investigations into key cases, including the Easter Sunday attacks, and encouraged the government to advance these efforts.

“Achieving results in at least some longstanding and representative human rights cases would have a powerful, demonstrative, and confidence-building effect,” he added.