Organizations in Sri Lanka present a statement to the UN Human Rights Commission as human right violations continue.

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Rev. Fr. Nicholas Packiaranjith, known as Fr. Ranjit, a Catholic priest from the Diocese of Mannar was killed in a claymore blast in the Mallavi area on Tuesday 26 September when he was carrying humanitarian supplies to a camp and orphanage at Vidathalvu for people affected by the war. He had been working to assist and protect internally displaced peoples (IDPs) in and around Mannar, as the District Coordinator of the well known international church agency Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).  

Various Sri Lankan organizations including Law & Society Trust (LST) and Mannar Women’s Development Federation have expressed their deepest condolences to the family members of Fr. Ranjith, the Bishop and the clergy of Mannar diocese and JRS staff and strongly condemn this brutal and deliberate killing. Killing of religious leaders and humanitarian workers denies protection and assistance to people affected by the violence and hostilities.  

Fr. Ranjith is the 4th religious leader to be killed or subjected to enforced disappearance since August 2006 in the North and East of Sri Lanka and the 58th humanitarian worker to be killed or subjected to enforced disappearance in Sri Lanka since January 2006.  

No one has been prosecuted in relation to the above incidents and call on relevant authorities to ensure an independent investigation and prosecute those responsible. The killing also comes less than two weeks after the Sri Lankan government dismissed and denied submissions by Sri Lankan and international religious and civil society groups to the UN Human Rights Council on attacks on religious leaders and places of worship as “isolated incidents” and a “desperate attempt by a small number of NGOs to portray Sri Lanka as a country where religious leaders and places of workshop have been under constant attack.”

Human rights groups as well as numerous groups working with displaced people were not allowed to meet with the UN Human Rights Commissioner during her recent visit or were allowed to meet only in the presence of military presence. Various groups have presented a statement to the Human Rights Commissioner.

The international community adds its voice to Sri Lankan groups to reiterate our call to the Government of Sri Lanka and all armed actors, particularly the LTTE, to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the security of religious leaders and humanitarian workers so that they are able to carry on their crucial work of assisting and protecting people affected by the conflict.