HRW calls on govt to end arbitrary arrests, says no accountability

 Human Rights Watch has called on the government to end arbitrary arrests and the harassment of protesters, activists and journalists. In a statement it issued yesterday the rights watchdog said the Sri Lankan government is using emergency regulations to harass and arbitrarily detain activists seeking political reform and accountability for the country's economic crisis.    ‘The Sri Lankan government’s crackdown on peaceful dissent appears to be a misguided and unlawful attempt to divert attention from the need to address the country’s urgent economic crisis,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Sri Lanka’s international partners should be clear that they need to be working with a rights-respecting administration to address Sri Lanka’s deeply rooted economic problems.” The statement went on to say how security forces injured more than 50 people in the July 22 early morning raid on the main janatha aragalaya (peoples struggle) site in Colombo and beat journalists from the online Xposure News and the BBC.  The statement goes on to mention the travel ban on several protesters including Father Jeewantha Peiris, a Catholic priest who had been prominent in the protests and the arrest of Ratta, also known as Rathidu Senarathna and Dhaniz Ali who was on an international about to depart Colombo. The abduction of former student activist and journalist Veranga Pushpika, the seizure of Britisher Kayleigh Frazer’s passport for her social media posts about the protests and the arrest of at least seven people including bystanders for the July 9 arson attack on Wickremesinghe’s private residence have also been highlighted by HRW. ‘The people of Sri Lanka are reeling under an economic crisis that has plunged millions into food insecurity, the closure of schools, and shortages of medicine, fuel, and other necessities. The government needs to end its repressive policies and practices and act urgently to address people’s basic needs, win public trust, and uphold the rule of law by holding those responsible to account’. ‘President Wickremesinghe has not taken any action to hold those responsible to account’, HRW said.