HRC 63 – Written statement on the situation in Sri Lanka

General Debate following High Commissioner update on Sri Lanka 

Monday 7 September 

Mr. President,

Twenty years ago, on 4 August 2006, Action Against Hunger lost radio contact with their humanitarian team in Muttur, Sri Lanka:

Two days later, the bodies of 17 aid workers were found, all faced downwards on the front lawn of their office. They had been lined up and executed, shot at very close range.

The massacre became a symbol of the collapse of humanitarian protection in Sri Lanka. As humanitarians were forced to leave the region, access to affected populations diminished and organisations scaled back their activities. This contributed to worsening malnutrition, the spread of waterborne diseases, and increased vulnerability among civilians.

Twenty years later, families of the victims are still waiting for justice. Over the past years, we have seen an alarming increase in attacks targeting humanitarian workers globally, despite their protections under international law.

Time and again, we see that impunity breeds more violence.

Mr. President,

What further steps can this Council take to pursue justice for the victims of past and ongoing attacks against aid workers, in Sri Lanka and elsewhere?