A recent report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on conflict-related sexual violence and the trauma it entails has drawn renewed attention to serious concerns surrounding sexual violence during Sri Lanka’s nearly three-decade-long internal conflict which ended in 2009. The report highlights lingering conflict-related issues that the country is yet to adequately address or fully understand, particularly the gravity and long-lasting impacts of sexual violence.
These concerns persist alongside more commonly acknowledged consequences of the conflict, such as deaths, displacement, and political instability. The publication presents Sri Lanka with yet another opportunity and also responsibility to confront this silenced and unresolved aspect of its civil war. More than 15 years after the end of the conflict, the persistence of trauma, impunity and institutional failure surrounding sexual violence shows that post-war reconciliation remains incomplete.
The Government has promised a renewed commitment to justice concerning the unresolved issues surrounding the war, emphasising domestic accountability mechanisms, reparations and reconciliation, while successive Governments have firmly rejected international interventions. If these commitments are to be taken seriously, the findings of this report cannot be ignored.
The report underscores significant legal gaps in Sri Lanka’s ability to address sexual violence committed in the context of the armed conflict. It clearly states that sexual violence in conflict constitutes a serious violation of international law and may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. As a State party to multiple international treaties, Sri Lanka is legally bound to prevent and address such issues. However, as the report notes, the country lacks specific legislation dealing with conflict-related sexual violence. Existing laws rely largely on general criminal and constitutional provisions, leaving serious protection gaps especially for male and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning plus survivors whose experiences are often unacknowledged, marginalised or even criminalised. This absence of tailored legal frameworks does not release the State from responsibility. Sri Lanka already possesses laws that can and should be used more effectively to pursue justice for survivors of sexual violence. These legal tools, along with existing war-related accountability mechanisms, must be utilised to their fullest extent.
To do that, conflict-related sexual violence should be treated as a national-level crisis, comparable to any other large-scale disaster, especially given that the report identifies concerns across multiple regions of the country. It must also be addressed as an integral part of ongoing efforts related to war crimes allegations and transitional justice.
It is true that Sri Lanka has taken a number of institutional steps over the years, including the establishment of the Office for Reparations and the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, these mechanisms will remain incomplete if conflict-related sexual violence is not meaningfully included in their mandates. Survivors of such violence have unique needs that cannot be addressed through symbolic gestures or generic reconciliation narratives. In fact, conflict-related sexual violence has long-lasting and multifaceted consequences. Its impacts are not limited to physical harm. They extend into psychological trauma, social exclusion and economic hardships as well. Even though more than a decade and a half has passed since the end of the war, survivors continue to live with the consequences of these crimes. As the report notes, the daily reality for many pertains to trauma in addition to various other social issues. Impunity remains a pressing concern. The report makes it clear that sexual violence during and after the conflict was widespread, systemic, and institutionally enabled. Despite this, accountability has been largely absent.
Addressing these unaddressed struggles requires more than administrative reforms. It requires political will as well. The report claims that sexual violence was used as a method of intimidation, punishment and control over conflict-affected populations. Such practices are considerably political and demand political solutions. The Government must therefore move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate genuine commitment by strengthening, streamlining and expediting domestic mechanisms so that they deliver justice or at the very least, meaningful relief to survivors. Trauma must be acknowledged and addressed as a central component of post-war recovery. Expanding and strengthening existing initiatives while ensuring inclusivity and survivor-centred approaches will be crucial in this process.
At the end of the day, confronting conflict-related sexual violence, is not only about addressing post war-related issues. It is also about shaping the kind of society that Sri Lanka aspires to be where dignity, accountability, and justice for all citizens is recognised and ensured.