There was continued impunity for violations committed during the internal armed conflict, and the government failed to uphold commitments to the UN Human Rights Council around justice and reconciliation. As such, justice stalled and impunity prevailed, including in cases of killings and other...

Amnesty International, along with over 20 partner organisations from South Asia, launches the first phase of an interactive digital space titled, “Footprints – Virtual Museum on Enforced Disappearances in South Asia,” today to highlight stories of those who have been subject to enforced...

Responding to the passing of the draconian Online Safety Act in the Sri Lankan Parliament today, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Regional Researcher for South Asia at Amnesty International said: “The passing of the Online Safety Act is a major blow to human rights in Sri Lanka. The Act is the newest weapon...

Responding to the death of one activist while hundreds of others were injured in clashes during the Opposition led protests across Bangladesh, Yasasmin Kaviratne, Regional Campaigner for South Asia at Amnesty International, said: “It is alarming to note the escalating tensions, use of force to...

The Government of Sri Lanka must ensure access to adequate nutrition for all pregnant and breastfeeding women amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, Amnesty International said today in a new research briefing. The briefing, ‘Foregoing Meals to Make-Do’, examines the impact of the economic...

The horrific misuse of tear gas by security forces during brutal crackdowns on protests in Iran, Peru and Sri Lanka last year are among many new incidents detailed in Amnesty International’s updated Tear Gas: An Investigation. The interactive website now includes details of 30 new incidents in 13...

The G20 includes Sri Lanka’s top lenders and powers with influence. It must do more than just say sweet nothings. In February, the finance ministers of G20 countries met to discuss the challenges facing the global economy. It was a missed opportunity to help a country on the front line of the debt...

Responding to the ban imposed on ‘assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, processions, demonstrations, protests and such like other activities across the district of Lahore’ by the Home Ministry of Pakistan today, Harindrini Corea, regional researcher on the right to protest at Amnesty...

Responding to the news that one protester had been killed and dozens injured as a result of the unlawful use of water cannons and tear gas by the police in Colombo in Sri Lanka on Sunday, Harindrini Corea, Regional Researcher for the Right to Protest at Amnesty International said, “It is worrying...

13 years of a struggle for justice Imagine being detained or abducted by security forces. Now imagine they detain you, yet nobody has any idea where you are, or even if you are dead or alive. The authorities refuse to acknowledge your detention and keep your whereabouts a secret. You have no...

Amid the doom and gloom of human rights work in the region, a few success stories this year give me hope. by Yamini Mishra, South Asia Regional Director at Amnesty International A cursory look at the human rights situation in South Asia can make one feel that the arc of the moral universe in the...

In response to the detention for over 90 days of student leaders Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridhamma Thero, under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Researcher, said: “The continued targeted persecution of student...