For survivors, the demand is simple and urgent: recognition of their suffering and meaningful action to ensure that the crimes of the past are not forgotten or repeated.
More than 15 years after Sri Lanka’s civil war ended, survivors of conflict-related sexual violence remain trapped in a cycle of trauma, fear and injustice, according to a new United Nations human rights report that has renewed global scrutiny of the country’s accountability record. The report and related UN statements warn that systemic sexual violence during and after the conflict has gone largely unpunished, leaving victims without recognition, reparations or meaningful pathways to justice.
The findings, released by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), draw on more than a decade of monitoring, survivor testimonies and consultations with civil society and experts. They reveal that sexual violence was not a series of isolated incidents but part of a deliberate and widespread pattern of abuse, often used as a tool of intimidation, punishment and control during Sri Lanka’s decades-long conflict between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The report, titled “We lost everything – even hope for justice,” underscores that survivors – both women and men – continue to suffer long-term physical, psychological and social consequences, while perpetrators have rarely been held accountable.
A Legacy of Abuse and Impunity
Sri Lanka’s civil war, which lasted from 1983 to 2009, was marked by widespread human rights violations committed by multiple parties, particularly during its final phases. The UN report documents how sexual violence was systematically employed in detention centres and conflict-affected areas, disproportionately targeting Tamil communities and other vulnerable groups.
According to OHCHR, such acts may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity under international law. The organisation stresses that Sri Lanka is legally obligated under international treaties to prevent, investigate and prosecute such crimes and to provide reparations to survivors.
Yet the report finds that successive governments have failed to fulfil these obligations. A persistent lack of accountability, acknowledgement and reparations has created a legacy of impunity that continues to shape the lives of survivors today. Many victims still suffer chronic injuries, infertility, psychological trauma and social exclusion, while others struggle with suicidal thoughts and economic hardship.
Human rights groups say the findings confirm long-standing allegations that sexual violence was “deliberate, widespread, and systemic,” reinforcing calls for urgent action by Sri Lanka and the international community.
Survivors Trapped in Fear, Stigma and Silence
Beyond the brutality of wartime abuses, the report highlights the enduring climate of intimidation and surveillance faced by survivors. Many victims fear retaliation by perpetrators who continue to live in their communities, leading to widespread under-reporting and silence.
Survivors interviewed by the UN described sexual violence as a form of torture that never ends, with stigma and shame compounding their suffering. Male and LGBTQ+ survivors, in particular, remain largely invisible due to social taboos and legal barriers that discourage them from seeking justice.
The OHCHR story on Sri Lanka’s war survivors captures this reality through testimonies that reveal deep despair and loss of hope. Survivors speak of humiliation, fear and the feeling that justice will never be delivered, even as the trauma of abuse continues to affect their daily lives and social relationships.
The report also notes that many survivors endured multiple forms of abuse, including enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, forced displacement and recruitment of child soldiers. These overlapping violations have created a complex legacy of trauma that extends far beyond the battlefield.
Legal Gaps and Institutional Failures
A major obstacle to justice, the UN report argues, lies in Sri Lanka’s legal and institutional framework. The country lacks specific legislation addressing conflict-related sexual violence, while statutes of limitation, limited forensic capacity and rare prosecutions further undermine accountability.
Militarisation, emergency laws and weakened rule of law have also contributed to the persistence of gender-based violence even after the conflict ended.
Human Rights Watch and other organisations say the findings demonstrate that sexual violence was “institutionally enabled” by state structures and ignored or concealed by successive governments unwilling to punish those responsible.
The report further points to significant barriers faced by survivors seeking justice, including intimidation by security forces, lack of witness protection and distrust in the judicial system. These factors have created what the UN describes as a near absence of effective remedies for victims.
UN Calls for Accountability and Transformative Reforms
The UN Human Rights Office has urged the Sri Lankan government to take immediate and concrete steps to address past abuses. These include publicly acknowledging sexual violence committed during the conflict, issuing formal apologies, reforming the security sector and judiciary, and establishing independent mechanisms to investigate and prosecute perpetrators.
Recognition and accountability, the report argues, are essential not only for restoring dignity to survivors but also for advancing reconciliation and preventing future abuses.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has described the current moment as an opportunity for Sri Lanka to break decades-long cycles of violence and impunity through transformative reforms and genuine commitment to truth and justice.
International rights groups have also echoed these calls, urging foreign governments to support accountability efforts through investigations, prosecutions and targeted measures against those responsible for serious crimes.
A Test for Sri Lanka’s Future
The UN report comes at a critical time for Sri Lanka, which continues to grapple with the political, ethnic and social consequences of its civil war. Despite repeated promises of reconciliation and justice, progress has been slow, and survivors remain sceptical about the prospects for accountability.
By documenting the systemic nature of sexual violence and the enduring failure of institutions to deliver justice, the UN findings pose a stark challenge to Sri Lanka’s leadership. They also raise broader questions about the international community’s role in ensuring accountability for mass atrocities and supporting victims of conflict-related violence.
For survivors, however, the demand is simpler and more urgent: recognition of their suffering and meaningful action to ensure that the crimes of the past are not forgotten or repeated. As the UN report makes clear, without justice, the wounds of Sri Lanka’s conflict will continue to haunt the nation long after the guns have fallen silent.
