Amnesty International (AI) has demanded that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal with Sri Lanka be made public.
Deprose Muchena, Senior Director of Amnesty International, stated that discussions about the deal should be made public.
He stated that the agreement should prioritise social protection and strengthen human rights.
“No aid mechanism or no loan mechanism should diminish human rights,” he said.
Muchena was speaking at the launch of Amnesty International’s Annual Report 2022/23 for the South Asia region, held in Colombo today.
The report found that in Sri Lanka the Government intensified its crackdown on dissent as thousands of people protested against the dire economic situation.
The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly came under fierce attack by law enforcement agencies, which at times used unlawful force leading to deaths and injuries.
Protesters were arbitrarily arrested, detained using draconian counterterrorism legislation, and ill-treated in custody. Serious human rights violations committed during the internal armed conflict remained unaddressed.
The report also said that families of people forcibly disappeared continued to seek truth and justice and amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act failed to address key human rights concerns.