{"id":151422,"date":"2025-08-17T16:51:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T23:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=151422"},"modified":"2025-08-17T16:51:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T23:51:20","slug":"sri-lanka-vs-unhrc-how-high-commissioners-abused-mandates-exceeded-authority-and-politicized-human-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2025\/08\/17\/sri-lanka-vs-unhrc-how-high-commissioners-abused-mandates-exceeded-authority-and-politicized-human-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka vs. UNHRC: How High Commissioners abused mandates, exceeded authority, and politicized Human Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

We are concerned about the consistent manner that successive UN High Commissioners for Human Rights have been involved or caved into pressure by a handful of bloc nations using the UNHRC to exert political pressure over nations. Not only have resolutions been intrusive, and beyond the Human Rights Councils advisory mandate as per UNGA Resolution 60\/251 (2006) the Council is now venturing into acting as quasi-prosecutors, prejudging Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces as war criminals based on well-funded smear campaigns. The latest and last attempt is a creation of an external judicial mechanism bypassing the authority of the UN General Assembly & even UN Security Council while entirely violating the UN Charter. Is the UNSC & UNGA asleep & watching this over reach take place. As public officials, the citizens of the world have every right to scrutinize the high commissioners working for the UN. We now look at the pattern of mandate overreach, institutional bias against Sri Lanka & leave the judgement to the readers. This analysis also highlights explicit actions where High Commissioners named Sri Lankan armed forces and senior officials, called for sanctions and travel bans, and ignored due process \u2014 reinforcing the pattern of systemic political bias.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most alarming trend is the consistent interference in Sri Lanka\u2019s domestic affairs<\/strong> \u2014 ranging from pressuring constitutional reforms, repeal of national security laws (PTA), imposing the 13th Amendment, and even demanding recognition of same-sex marriage<\/strong> \u2014 all of which have no place in the UNHRC\u2019s mandate<\/strong>. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This exposes not only systematic bias<\/strong> but also the abuse of UN mechanisms<\/strong> by a handful of bloc nations and politically motivated lobby groups.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below we examine, Commissioner by Commissioner, how this bias has been institutionalized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navi Pillay (2008\u20132014)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actions Beyond Mandate:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      As a Tamil ethnic herself, conflict of interest required her recusal in judging Sri Lanka\u2019s conflict which was not done.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Consistently referred to Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces as perpetrators of war crimes<\/strong> despite no international tribunal verdict or UN Security Council referral.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Called for independent international investigations<\/strong> into Sri Lanka, which the UNHRC is not empowered to initiate<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Publicly demanded Sri Lanka to implement the 13th Amendment<\/strong> to devolve political power \u2014 a domestic constitutional matter<\/strong> outside OHCHR\u2019s remit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Pressured for the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA)<\/strong> without acknowledging Sri Lanka\u2019s ongoing security concerns.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Repeatedly used emotive, accusatory language<\/strong> against Sri Lanka, ignoring LTTE terrorism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Upon leaving her role as High Commissioner, she was also seen expressing condolence messages for the Mullaivaikkal commemorations \u2013 an event annually held to commemorate LTTE dead.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Procedural Overreach:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Functioned in a quasi-judicial role<\/strong>, making determinations of guilt and recommending punitive measures, which exceeds advisory functions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Ignored due process<\/strong> by accepting unverified testimonies from LTTE-linked diaspora groups while dismissing official government submissions.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pillay repeatedly accused Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces of \u2018credible war crimes,\u2019 pressed for international investigations targeting senior political and military leaders.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prince Zeid Ra\u2019ad Al Hussein (2014\u20132018)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actions Beyond Mandate:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Pressed for the establishment of a hybrid court with foreign judges<\/strong> to try Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces \u2014 bypassing the UNGA & UNSC<\/strong> authority.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Recommended Sri Lanka amend its Constitution<\/strong> to entrench devolution and remove presidential powers \u2014 a clear breach of sovereignty<\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Repeated calls for the repeal of the PTA<\/strong>, disregarding Sri Lanka\u2019s sovereign right to maintain national security laws.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Openly endorsed UNHRC Resolutions demanding structural changes to Sri Lanka\u2019s judiciary and security sector<\/strong>, far outside the OHCHR\u2019s mandate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Procedural Overreach:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Acted as a prosecutor rather than neutral advisor<\/strong>, producing country reports that accused Sri Lanka of systemic crimes without judicial validation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Failed to recognize Sri Lanka\u2019s domestic mechanisms (Paranagama Commission)<\/strong>, dismissing them as inadequate without substantive review.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zeid directly referred to the Sri Lankan military as systematically responsible for violations and pushed for a hybrid court with jurisdiction over senior commanders and officers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelle Bachelet (2018\u20132022)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actions Beyond Mandate:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Called for the creation of an international evidence-gathering mechanism\u201d<\/strong> (the OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project\u201d), acting as if OHCHR is a tribunal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Recommended that Sri Lanka repeal the PTA<\/strong> and draft a new constitution<\/strong> reflecting external models \u2014 exceeding advisory limits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Persistently demanded full implementation of the 13th Amendment<\/strong>, effectively endorsing federalization of Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Issued statements on Sri Lanka\u2019s judiciary, police, and governance<\/strong> reforms \u2014 intruding into internal governance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Procedural Overreach:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Operated as a<\/strong> <\/strong>parallel judicial authority<\/strong>, collecting and preserving\u201d evidence to be used in hypothetical future prosecutions.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Made<\/strong> <\/strong>one-sided assessments<\/strong> <\/strong>that consistently downplayed LTTE atrocities while amplifying unverified claims against the state.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Encouraged<\/strong> <\/strong>UN member states to use universal jurisdiction<\/strong> <\/strong>against Sri Lankan officials \u2014 again, outside UNHRC\u2019s authority.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notable Interference & sanctions call<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Sanctions & Travel Bans Advocacy (2021)<\/strong>: Bachelet called on Member States to consider targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans against those “credibly alleged perpetrators” of grave rights violations \u2014 a punitive step outside the OHCHR\u2019s advisory role <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bachelet explicitly named General Shavendra Silva, endorsed U.S. sanctions against him, and called upon UN member states to impose targeted sanctions and travel bans on Sri Lankan military officials.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volker T\u00fcrk (2022\u2013Present)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actions Beyond Mandate:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Continued pressure for the repeal of the PTA<\/strong> and replacement with new security laws, disregarding Sri Lanka\u2019s legislative independence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Demanded comprehensive constitutional reforms<\/strong>, including greater devolution of power \u2014 interfering directly in domestic affairs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Remarkably, went beyond human rights to advocate for the legalization of same-sex marriage<\/strong> in Sri Lanka, a matter wholly unrelated to UNHRC\u2019s mandate and contrary to Sri Lanka\u2019s constitutional, cultural, and religious context during the recent visit to Sri Lanka.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Endorsed the ongoing external evidence mechanism<\/strong> created under Bachelet, which violates the principle that only the UNSC\/UNGA can create tribunals.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Also during the recent visit to Sri Lanka, made a flying visit to a 1990 grave site & an emotive speech falsely giving impression to the ignorant international community that this was a grave site of killings by Sri Lanka Armed Forces while not including a visit to a grave site & torture chamber run by LTTE that had killed over 3000 Tamils which families claim documentation of proof was available.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Procedural Overreach:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Encouraged member states to impose sanctions<\/strong> on Sri Lankan officials \u2014 a function reserved for the Security Council, not OHCHR.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b7      Continued the practice of naming and shaming<\/strong>, treating OHCHR reports as verdicts rather than advisory observations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While more indirect, T\u00fcrk has continued the trend by framing Sri Lanka\u2019s military presence in the North and East as an obstacle to reconciliation, urging structural reforms that weaken the armed forces\u2019 domestic role<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of Systematic Interference in Domestic Affairs of Sri Lanka<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Commissioners, followed a common pattern:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.     Constitutional Interference<\/strong> \u2013 Repeated calls to implement the 13th Amendment<\/strong> and change Sri Lanka\u2019s Constitution.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.     National Security Undermined<\/strong> \u2013 Demands to repeal the PTA<\/strong> without offering alternatives to tackle terrorism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.     Judicial Substitution<\/strong> \u2013 Attempts to set up foreign or hybrid courts<\/strong> to bypass Sri Lanka\u2019s judiciary.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.     Cultural & Religious Insensitivity<\/strong> \u2013 Volker T\u00fcrk\u2019s call to legalize same-sex marriage<\/strong> ignores Sri Lanka\u2019s religious and cultural framework.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.     Selective Accountability<\/strong> \u2013 Silence on LTTE atrocities and external complicity, while prejudging the Sri Lankan armed forces as guilty<\/strong>. Explicit naming of armed forces and senior commanders for alleged violations and advocacy for sanctions or travel bans without judicial process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.     Institutional Bias<\/strong> \u2013 Reliance on funded NGO and diaspora allegations<\/strong>, while dismissing local commissions and state-provided data  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UN High Commissioners \u2014 notably Navi Pillay, Zeid Al-Hussein, Michelle Bachelet and Volker Turk \u2014 have all functioned beyond their mandates by explicitly naming Sri Lanka\u2019s armed forces and, in some instances, individual commanders and even calling for sanctions & travel bans as well as asset freezes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have turned UNHRC into a parallel political tribunal against Sri Lanka on behalf of a handful of nations now manipulating the UNHRC for their political goals and behind are pro-LTTE funding groups. The same could happen to other nations if UNHRC overreach is not stopped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their actions amount to prejudgment, violate the presumption of innocence, and exceed the advisory role of the OHCHR under the UN Charter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This breach of due process seriously undermines the credibility of the UNHRC. It also exposes the UNGA and UNSC\u2019s inaction, allowing a handful of nations to manipulate the Council and attempt to grant it extra-judicial powers reserved for the General Assembly and Security Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our question is \u2013 what is the UNSG, the UNGA (President & Members) as well as UNSC going to do about what is unfolding?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 15 years (2010\u20132025), the OHCHR and UNHRC dedicated disproportionate attention and resources to Sri Lanka, relying heavily on funded diaspora groups and NGO reports while dismissing domestic inquiries and ignoring LTTE atrocities. This demonstrates selective accountability, institutional bias, and misuse of UN funds.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial Cost of Bias<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past 15 years (2010\u20132025), the UNHRC and OHCHR have devoted an estimated $45\u201350million of UN funds to monitoring Sri Lanka\u2014relying heavily on diaspora-funded NGOs and ignoring domestic investigations\u2014while the country has been at peace since 2009. These resources could have been used for more constructive global human rights initiatives, but instead, they funded a politically motivated, selective witch-hunt against a sovereign state.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hidden Funding and Influence<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the UNHRC and OHCHR spent an estimated $45\u201350 million from UN funds targeting Sri Lanka over 15 years (2010\u20132025), the campaigns against the country were heavily amplified and funded by the LTTE diaspora and international NGOs with destabilizing agendas. Preliminary assessments suggest these external contributions may equal or even double the UN expenditure, creating a massive, politically motivated machinery against a nation that has been at peace since 2009.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shenali D Waduge<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shenali D Waduge We are concerned about the consistent manner that successive UN High Commissioners for Human Rights have been involved or caved into pressure by a handful of bloc nations using the UNHRC to exert political pressure over nations. Not only have resolutions been intrusive, and beyond the Human Rights Councils advisory mandate as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-151422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151422\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}