BEREICH | EVENTL. ABTEILUNG | WWW.ROTESKREUZ.AT ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Sri Lanka COI Compilation December 2016 This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared within a specified time frame on the basis of publicly available documents as well as information provided by experts. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 4 1 Main Developments ................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Overview of major political developments since January 2013 ........................................ 5 1.1.1 January and August 2015 elections ............................................................................. 5 1.1.2 Constitutional reforms ................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Overview of the present government structures ............................................................. 15 1.2.1 Government structures and political system ............................................................ 15 1.2.2 Overview of main political parties ............................................................................. 17 1.3 Status of the post-conflict reconciliation .......................................................................... 26 1.3.1 Accountability ............................................................................................................. 26 1.3.2 Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and emergency legislation ................................ 34 2 Security Situation/Developments (since January 2013) ..................................................... 40 2.1 General information on security forces: armed forces, intelligence services, police, paramilitary forces .................................................................................................................... 40 2.1.1 Armed forces .............................................................................................................. 41 2.1.2 Intelligence services ................................................................................................... 43 2.1.3 Police ........................................................................................................................... 44 2.1.4 Paramilitary ................................................................................................................. 47 2.2 Overview of issues surrounding security forces, military ................................................ 52 2.2.1 Forced recruitment by government forces ............................................................... 52 2.2.2 Treatment of military deserters ................................................................................ 54 2.2.3 Treatment of people associated with or perceived to be supporters of the LTTE . 56 2.2.4 Enforced disappearances ........................................................................................... 60 2.2.5 Extrajudicial killings .................................................................................................... 63 2.2.6 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................................................. 66 2.2.7 Torture ........................................................................................................................ 70 2.2.8 Forced displacement .................................................................................................. 72 2.3 Human rights abuses by LTTE ............................................................................................ 75 3 Rule of Law / Administration of Justice ................................................................................ 77 3.1 Judicial independence ....................................................................................................... 77 3.2 Torture and ill-treatment of criminal suspects ................................................................ 80 3.3 Impunity for extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and other human rights violations by state actors ................................................................................................................................ 84 3.4 Due process (including arrest and detention procedures) .............................................. 87 3.5 Prison conditions ................................................................................................................ 94 4 Human Rights Issues ........................................................................................................... 100 4.1 Ethnicity ............................................................................................................................ 100 4.1.1 Domestic legal framework for the protection of ethnic minorities ....................... 100 4.1.2 Treatment of ethnic groups / ethnic minorities in practice ................................... 102 4.2 Freedom of religion ......................................................................................................... 107 4.2.1 Domestic legal framework for the protection of religious minorities ................... 107 4.2.2 Treatment of members of religious minorities ....................................................... 111 2 4.3 Freedom of expression and association ......................................................................... 114 4.3.1 Domestic legal framework ....................................................................................... 114 4.3.2 Treatment of (actual and perceived) members and supporters of political opposition parties ............................................................................................................... 117 4.3.3 Treatment of civil society, human rights, and political activists ............................ 119 4.3.4 Treatment of journalists and other media professionals ....................................... 123 4.4 Women ............................................................................................................................. 126 4.4.1 Domestic legal framework ....................................................................................... 126 4.4.2 Overview of current issues regarding women ........................................................ 130 4.4.3 Situation of women (access to health care, social services, etc) ........................... 137 4.5 Children ............................................................................................................................ 143 4.5.1 Domestic legal framework ....................................................................................... 143 4.5.2 Overview of current issues regarding children ....................................................... 146 4.5.3 Situation of children ................................................................................................. 150 4.6 Persons of diverse sexual orientations or gender identities (SOGI) .............................. 155 4.6.1 Domestic legal framework ....................................................................................... 155 4.6.2 Overview of current issues regarding persons of diverse SOGI ............................. 158 4.7 Freedom of Movement .................................................................................................... 161 4.7.1 Domestic legal framework ....................................................................................... 161 4.7.2 Imposition of movement restrictions for certain groups and in certain areas ..... 162 4.7.3 Treatment of persons returning from abroad ....................................................... 165 4.7.4 Situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) .................................................... 168 4.8 Trafficking of persons (internal and external) ................................................................ 172 Sources ........................................................................................................................................ 177 3 List of Abbreviations ACMC - All Ceylon Makkal Congress BBS - Bodu Bala Sena