Sat Mar 15 12:06:27 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lanka to Debate Long-Dormant Report on State-Sponsored Violence

**Colombo, March 15, 2025** – Sri Lanka’s parliament will debate a nearly 30-year-old report detailing allegations of unlawful detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings by the state between 1988 and 1990. The report, known as the Batalanda commission report, was tabled by the Leader of the House, Bimal Rathnayake, on Friday. The government will seek the Attorney General’s opinion on its findings.

The report’s renewed prominence follows an Al Jazeera interview with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who denied allegations of complicity in the operation of a “torture camp” during his time as Minister of Industries. The report investigates the actions of a government-backed counter-subversive unit during the second armed insurrection by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The report acknowledges violence committed by the JVP but also states that “The terrorism of the JVP was met with State Terrorism.”

The report’s revival has reignited calls for justice from human rights activists, who highlight the lack of accountability for state actors. Constitutional lawyer Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena emphasized the need for systemic accountability and the effective application of the doctrine of command responsibility, rather than focusing solely on individual politicians. She noted a 2008 amendment to the Commissions of Inquiry Act, which allows for criminal proceedings based on investigation findings, but questioned its retrospective application.

Professor Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri of the University of Colombo suggested that while bringing perpetrators to justice might be difficult, a public discourse on the report is valuable. He advocated for a Truth Commission to investigate state actions during this period, both in the south and north of the country. He highlighted the continued presence of past counter-insurgency structures within the state apparatus. The debate is expected to generate significant discussion about Sri Lanka’s past and the ongoing pursuit of justice.

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