Summary: Non-signatory Sri Lanka has not articulated its position on accession to the convention, but it has participated as an observer in the convention’s annual meetings since 2011 and attended the First Review Conference in September 2015.

Sri Lanka is not known to have produced or exported cluster munitions. Sri Lanka states that it has never used or stockpiled cluster munitions, but, in June 2016, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated a willingness to look into allegations that government forces used cluster munitions in 2008 and 2009.

Policy

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Sri Lanka has shown interest in the convention, but has not elaborated its view on accession.[1] Sri Lanka participated as an observer in the convention’s First Review Conference in September 2015, where it made a statement expressing its support for the humanitarian objectives of the convention and informing States Parties that it has never used or stockpiled cluster munitions.[2]

On 7 December 2015, Sri Lanka voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which urges states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[3] Sri Lanka did not explain why it supported the non-binding resolution, which 139 states voted to adopt, including many non-signatories.

Sri Lanka participated in one meeting of the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions (Vienna in December 2007). It attended a regional meeting on cluster munitions in Bali, Indonesia in November 2009.

Since 2011, Sri Lanka has participated as an observer in all of the convention’s annual Meetings of States Parties. It attended the convention’s First Review Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015 and intersessional meetings in 2013.

In March 2016, Sri Lanka announced that it intends to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty.[4] It is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Sri Lankan officials have stated, most recently in September 2015, that its armed forces do not possess cluster munitions and have never used the weapons.[5] In 2013, a Sri Lankan army officer informed the CMC that army engineers are trained to clear unexploded ordnance from weapons used by the armed forces, but they have not been trained to clear cluster munitions as Sri Lanka does not possess these weapons and has never used them.[6]

Sri Lanka has consistently denied claims that it used cluster munitions in 2008 and 2009 during the final months of its military operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northern Vanni region.[7] However, following the publication of new evidence in June 2016, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mangala Samaraweera, expressed support for a proposal by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to create a “credible mechanism” to look into allegations. Samaraweera, who participated in the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, told a press conference that “we can respond [to the allegations] once we have gone into them thoroughly.”[8] In June 2016, The Guardian reported that three mine clearance organizations have cleared cluster munition remnants from at least six different sites in the north of the country since 2009.[9] It reported that HALO Trust cleared 42 cluster munitions—likely submunitions—from sites near Pachchilapalli, which saw fighting between government and LTTE forces at the end of the war. HALO said it reported clearance of the items, submitting the records to the government-run mine action center. The Guardian published photographs that it said depicted cluster munition remnants found in the Kilinochchi district and near Chalai, to the north of Mullaitivu. Human Rights Watch identified the munitions depicted as Soviet-made RBK-500 AO-2.5RT cluster bombs. According to The Guardian, former Mines Advisory Group workers also found cluster munition remnants near the town of Puthukuduyurippu, while the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action cleared them from Suthanthirapuram.

The Sri Lankan air force possesses aircraft capable of delivering this type of cluster munition, while the LTTE had light planes incapable of carrying them. The Indian air force possesses RBK-500 series cluster bombs and was involved in a military intervention against the LTTE in northern Sri Lanka in 1987–1990.

HALO told the Guardian that it has not concluded which side had deployed the cluster munitions or when, asserting that it “could have been any time within the last three decades.”[10]

Previously, in April 2012, the government denied further allegations that it used cluster munitions during the conflict.[11] A February 2009 media article alleged that Sri Lankan forces used cluster munitions against the LTTE, and specifically while targeting Pudukkudyirippu Hospital.[12] A UN spokesperson initially said the hospital was attacked with cluster munitions, but retracted the statement after further investigation.[13]

In response to previous allegations, the Sri Lankan government’s Media Center for National Security issued the following statement in February 2009: “The Government wishes to clarify that the Sri Lanka army do not use these cluster bombs nor do they have facilities to use them.”[14] A statement posted to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development website found that Sri Lanka never fired cluster munitions or brought them into the country.[15]

A March 2011 report by a UN panel of experts on Sri Lanka noted the government’s denial of use of the weapon and said that it was unable to reach a conclusion on the credibility of the allegation of use of cluster munitions by Sri Lanka.[16] In June 2016, the OHCHR requested that the government of Sri Lanka initiate an independent investigation into the alleged use of cluster munitions in the north.[17]

Policy

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.[1]

In December 2015, at the Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka stated, “Following the change of government since January 2015 elections there is a paradigm shift in the policy of the government. Presently my government is considering seriously to accede to the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Treaty as a matter of priority. There are positive signals that my government may decide to be a state party within the course of the next year. The government wants to see Sri Lanka again a committed member of the International Community to promote disarmament and humanitarian mine action.”[2]

On 2 March 2016, at the pledging conference for Mine Ban Treaty organized by the Chilean Presidency, the Ambassador of Sri Lanka announced that Sri Lanka will be acceding to the convention, becoming the 163rd State Party. He stated that the decision had been taken earlier that day by the Cabinet in Colombo.[3]

Prior to this announcement, Sri Lanka had not made any formal statements regarding the Mine Ban Treaty since 2009 when it said that it “fully subscribes to the humanitarian objectives of the treaty.”[4] However, in a July 2012 meeting with the diplomatic community in Colombo, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, reportedly said that the Defense Ministry was ready for Sri Lanka to sign the treaty.[5] In September 2010, the Ministry of Economic Development published a plan that would “advocate for a ban of landmines and cluster munitions,” but as of 1 August 2012 it is not known to have done so.[6]

Sri Lanka participated, as an observer, in the Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November-December 2015, as well as the convention’s intersessional meetings in May 2016 in Geneva. Sri Lanka also attended the pledging conference for implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention organized by the Chilean Presidency in Geneva in March 2016. Previously, Sri Lanka submitted a voluntary Article 7 report in 2005. It did not subsequently update it to include information on its stockpile.

Sri Lanka voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 70/50 on 7 December 2015 calling for universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty, as it has for every annual pro-ban UNGA resolution since 1996.

Sri Lanka is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its Amended Protocol II on landmines.

In August 2016, the Sri Lankan Campaign to Ban Landmines (SCBL) mobilized a national petition requesting the government accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. The petition was signed by many key former civil servants, academic professors, business owners, and civil society activists. The petition was presented to the President of Sri Lanka, Maitripala Sirisena, on 25 August 2016. Also in August 2016, the SCBL lobbied the Secretariat of the Reconciliation Task Force to request the government accede to the MBT. In November 2015, the SCBL distributed a booklet titled “Why Post-war Sri Lanka should Accede to the Mine Ban Treaty” that was used as part of a national advocacy campaign for Mine Ban Treaty accession.[7]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Since the end of armed conflict in May 2009, the Monitor has not received any reports of new use of antipersonnel mines by any entity.

There is no evidence that the government of Sri Lanka has ever produced or exported antipersonnel mines. It has a stockpile, but its current size and composition are not known.

In April 2009, Brigadier Lasantha Wickramasuriya of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) acknowledged that the army had used antipersonnel mines in the past, but stressed that such use was only in the past. He said the army had used non-detectable Belgian, Chinese, and Italian mines, as well as bounding and fragmentation mines of Pakistani, Portuguese, and United States (US) manufacture.[8] The Monitor had previously reported that Sri Lanka acquired antipersonnel mines from China, Italy (or Singapore), Pakistan, Portugal, and perhaps Belgium, the US, and others.[9]

In October 2009, Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya said that “the use of mines by the Sri Lankan military is strictly limited and restricted to defensive purposes only…to demarcate and defend military installations” and are “marked accordingly…and relevant records systematically maintained.”[10]

Prior to the end of armed conflict, in particular in 2008 and 2009, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) laid large numbers of mines throughout the north.[11]

In 2015, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka adopted a new national mine action strategy, which sets the target for completion of clearance by 2020. Resurvey significantly reduced estimates of the size of remaining antipersonnel mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination from nearly 78km² at the end of 2014 to nearly 44km² by 30 June 2016. The National Mine Action Center (NMAC) reported that 26.44km² was canceled by non-technical survey (NTS) and 6.3km² was reduced through technical survey. 3.52km² of mined areas was cleared and 6km² of contaminated land was released through battle area clearance (BAC).

Recommendations for action

• Continued efforts should be made to implement efficient land release methodology and to more accurately define the size of remaining contamination.
• The quality of the national mine action database should be improved to enable effective planning and accurate reporting on land release.
• Greater resources should be allocated to NMAC to enable it to increase its capacity and effectiveness, and to ensure sufficient resources for mine action activities.
• Sri Lanka should implement its resource mobilization plan and seek increased funding to ensure mine action activities can meet the 2020 clearance target.

Contamination

Sri Lanka is extensively contaminated by mines and ERW. Most contamination is in the north, the focus of three decades of armed conflict between the government and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE), which ended in May 2009. The estimate of total contamination reduced from nearly 78km² at the end of 2014 to 43.6km² as of 30 June 2016. NMAC’s estimates of contamination across the 10 affected districts across three provinces are set out in the table below.[1]

Mine/ERW contamination as at 30 June 2016[2]

However, actual contamination was thought to be less than 35km², considerably lower than the 43.6km² contained in the national database, in part due to survey results from Northern province that had not yet been submitted to NMAC.[3] 

Most remaining contamination is located in Sri Lanka’s five northern districts. Both sides made extensive use of mines, including belts of P4 MK1 blast antipersonnel mines laid by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), and long defensive lines with a mixture of mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) laid by the LTTE, defending approaches to the northern town of Kilinochchi.[4] Indian peacekeeping forces also used landmines during their presence from July 1987 to January 1990.[5] 

The SLA used both antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, with all use said to have been recorded. Minefield records were handed over to the national mine action program and entered into the national database after the conflict, which greatly facilitated clearance.[6] Operators have encountered a wide range of LTTE devices, including antipersonnel mines with anti-tilt and anti-lift mechanisms, most of which it constructed itself, and often containing a larger explosive charge than the P4 MK1 mines (up to 140g compared to 30g). Tripwire-activated Claymore-type mines and, to a lesser extent, antivehicle mines, were also used by the LTTE, along with a number of forms of IED to act as fragmentation mines, bar mines, electrical and magnetically initiated explosive devices, and mines connected to detonating cord to mortar and artillery shells.[7] 

Sri Lanka remains contaminated with a wide range of ERW, including unexploded air-dropped bombs, artillery shells and missiles, mortar bombs, handheld antitank projectiles, and rifle and hand grenades. Large caches of abandoned explosive ordnance also exist, particularly in the north.[8] During the first 10 months of 2015, a monthly average of 168 items of ERW was reported by civilians and communities.[9]

A total of eight mine/ERW victims were recorded in five incidents in 2015 by November, down from 16 victims in a total of 11 incidents in 2014.[10] (See the Casualties and Victim Assistance country profile for further details.)

Since early 2009, resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has been the focus of survey and clearance activities, including in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya districts in the north, and Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara districts in the east.[11] In 2015, NMAC confirmed that clearance continued to focus on high-priority areas for resettlement, agricultural land, irrigation tank areas, and other infrastructure and development initiatives, as well as of heavily mined areas such as around Kilinochchi and the Muhamalai Forward Defense Line.[12] In addition, in 2015, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) was given access to eastern districts of the Northern province for the first time since 2009, which the government had previously denied access to over “security concerns.” Following granting permission for survey teams to begin work in these districts, clearance teams were deployed in 2016, which significantly increased the reach of humanitarian mine action in the country.[13] 

Program Management 

The Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement, and Hindu Religious Affairs became the lead agency for mine action in 2015 as chair of the interministerial National Steering Committee for Mine Action (NSCMA), which sets policy and is mandated to “manage linkages within the government, mine action community and donors.”[14] Its policies and decisions are implemented by NMAC, set up in 2010[15] to liaise with government ministries and development partners to determine mine action priorities; prepare a strategic plan; and set annual workplans to put it into effect. NMAC is also responsible for accrediting mine action operators, setting national standards, and acting as the secretariat of the NSCMA.[16]

Clearance operations are coordinated, tasked, and quality managed by a Regional Mine Action Office (RMAO) in Kilinochchi, working in consultation with District Steering Committees for Mine Action. The committees are chaired by government agents heading district authorities.[17] 

Under its new national mine action strategy for 2016–2020 (see below), the government of Sri Lanka intends to convene steering committee meetings for mine action up to twice per year at national level and at three regional levels, one for the east (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Ampara) and two for the north (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, and Mullaitivu, and Vavuniya, Mannar, Polonnaruwa, and Anuradhapura, respectively).[18]

While NMAC’s activities were severely curtailed in early 2015 due to a suspension in funding while it awaited reassignment to a new government ministry following the January elections, it appears that issues were resolved during the year and there is renewed political commitment to mine action in Sri Lanka. The previous government had set a deadline of the end of 2014 for the withdrawal of international operators from the country, but agreed to extend the deadline until the end of 2016. In September 2016, NMAC reported that it fully expected international operators to continue operations until the completion of clearance in 2020 under the new 2016–2020 mine action strategy.[19]

Strategic planning

In 2015, a new national mine action strategy was drafted with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), and in consultation with operators and the SLA. The strategy, which includes a completion plan for clearance by 2020 and is accompanied by a resource mobilization plan, was formally endorsed by the Ministry of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs on 25 May 2016.[20]

The strategy contains the following strategic objectives:

• The scope of the mine/ERW problem is identified, confirmed, and addressed using appropriate methodologies and resources.
• Mine/ERW safe behavior among women, girls, boys, and men is promoted.
• The needs of mine/ERW victims are determined and met and victims are integrated into society.
• Sri Lanka accedes to the Mine Ban Treaty and complies with relevant obligations.
• Long-term residual contamination is effectively managed by appropriate and sustainable national capacities.
• The Sri Lanka mine action sector can access quality information for its strategic and operational decision-making.[21] 

An external mid-term review of the strategy will be requested by NMAC in mid-2018 to evaluate progress and ensure its continued relevance.[22]

Standards

NMAC reported that Sri Lanka’s National Mine Action Standards continued to be in effect in 2015, and are in line with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS).[23] Operators reported no changes to the national mine action standards since 2010.[24]

Quality management

NMAC stated that quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC) and post-clearance inspection activities were conducted in accordance with Sri Lanka’s National Mine Action Standards regularly in 2015. In September 2016, however, NMAC expressed concern about reductions in QA/QC staff capacity and identified a need for assistance in training new recruits.[25]

Information management

In August 2015, an updated version of the software for the national Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database was installed. As of October 2015, NMAC reported that all data had been entered into the updated system and 95% had been validated by ground verification.[26] 

Operators 

In 2015, demining was conducted by the SLA; one national NGO, Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH); and the two international NGOs, HALO Trust and MAG. A national organization, SHARP, became operational from January 2016 after securing funding and inheriting equipment and staff from international NGO Danish Demining Group, which closed operations in Sri Lanka in 2014.[27] 

In 2015, HALO reduced staffing and capacity, due to a cut in funding following the previous government’s announcement that all international demining organizations would have to leave the country by the end of 2016. Its demining personnel went down from 931 at the start of 2015 to 264 by the end of December and its mechanical assets reduced from a maximum of 10 in 2014 to five at the end of 2015.[28]

MAG more than doubled its capacity during 2015, initially deploying five manual clearance teams and six mechanical teams, which increased to a total of 12 manual clearance teams and seven mechanical teams by December.[29]

NMAC reported that the SLA employed a total of 555 persons in demining operations, of whom 515 were deminers, along with 11 mechanical flails. DASH, and its subcontractor, SHARP, employed 274 deminers, and a total of 355 staff during the year along with one mechanical asset.[30] 

Land Release 

With the support of MAG and DASH, NMAC made resurvey of all mined and unexploded ordinance (UXO)-contaminated areas a priority for land release operations in Sri Lanka in 2015.[31] Non-technical survey (NTS) activities commenced in mid-2015, which were due to be completed by the end of November 2016, by which time NMAC anticipated that a total of up to 35km² would have been canceled.[32]

According to NMAC, a total of close to 9.8km² was released through clearance and technical survey in 2015, compared with 5.8km² in 2014.[33] A further 26.4km² was canceled by NTS in May–December 2015.[34]

NMAC has reported that cumulatively, a total of 131km² was reduced or cleared between 2002 and September 2015.[35] 

Survey in 2015 

NMAC’s official data showed that a total of almost 26.4km² was canceled by NTS and a further 6.3km² reduced through technical survey during 2015.[36] However, there are discrepancies between NMAC data and MAG and HALO data.[37] These figures compared to release of 0.5km² through survey reported by HALO in 2014, and 2.68km² through NTS and technical survey reported by MAG for the same year.[38] 

Antipersonnel mine survey in 2015[39]

Note: SHA = suspected hazardous area.

Clearance in 2015

According to NMAC, more than 3.52km² of mined area was cleared in 2015, and a further 6km² of contaminated area was released through battle area clearance (BAC), with the combined destruction of 27,845 antipersonnel mines, 74 antivehicle mines, and 4,588 items of UXO.[40] However, there are discrepancies between NMAC data and MAG and HALO data.[41]

In 2014, officials reported a total of 3.7km² cleared, 2km² released through BAC, and the destruction of 32,223 antipersonnel mines, 97 antivehicle mines, and 27,825 items of UXO.[42] 

Mine clearance in 2015[43]

Note: AP = antipersonnel; AV = antivehicle. 

HALO reported a decrease in its clearance output in 2015, which it said directly corresponded to the reduction in staffing and capacity.[44]

MAG reported an increase in clearance in 2015, noting that improved land release methodology resulted in a surge in the number of mines it cleared.[45] MAG began implementing a combination of technical survey and clearance in 2015, whereas in 2014, it was only releasing land through clearance. It reported that in 2015, of its total output of land cleared or reduced, 59% was reduced by technical survey and 41% through clearance.[46]

Deminer safety 

In 2015, one HALO Trust deminer sustained minor injuries to a hand and burns to the neck in a demining incident.[47] 

Progress towards completion

Sri Lanka’s new national mine action strategy for 2016–2020 contains a specific strategic objective of accession to the Mine Ban Treaty and compliance with its obligations.[48] In December 2015, at the Mine Ban Treaty Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties, Sri Lanka made a statement publicly announcing its commitment to accede to the convention for the first time. It stated that following the election of the new government in January 2015, “there is a paradigm shift in the policy of the government,” which was “considering seriously” to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty “as a matter of priority,” possibly within the course of 2016.[49]

In the last five years, Sri Lanka has reported clearing nearly 46km² of mined area, though clearance dropped significantly in 2013 following a steady decline in capacity following closure of the operations of the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) in 2013, and two Indian demining NGOs, Horizon and Sarvatra, in 2012 (see table below). 

Mine clearance in 2011–2015

According to Sri Lanka’s new national mine action strategy, 6.5km² is expected to be reduced or cleared annually, with resources remaining at the same level as in 2015. As noted above, NMAC is expected to request an external mid-term review of the strategy in 2018 to evaluate progress and to adapt the strategy if necessary.[50] 

In early 2016, a resource mobilization action plan to accompany the new strategy was developed by the government of Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the GICHD, specifying, among other things, activities, tasks, responsibilities and time-lines.[51]

The government created a national budget line for mine action in 2015.[52] NMAC reported that during the year, funding for its operational costs and the SLA’s demining unit had been provided by the government.[53] NMAC expected an increase in funding in 2016–2017.[54] However, NMAC estimated that to address the remaining contamination, about double the 2015 budget would be needed annually to complete clearance by 2020. It was noted, however, that this estimate could change, depending on the resurvey results.[55]

In September 2016, NMAC reaffirmed that Sri Lanka can complete its goal of clearance of all antipersonnel mine contamination by the end of 2020 if international and government commitment and funding significantly increase.[56] 

Operators noted the importance of developing plans for expected reductions in capacity in line with progress towards completion of clearance by 2020, including job skills trainings and redundancy packages for demining staff.[57] At the same time, Sri Lanka’s new strategy highlights the need for a sustainable national capacity to manage residual mine and ERW contamination afterwards, supported by the national budget.[58] In September 2016, NMAC and operators reported that while considerable resources had been spent to equip the SLA’s demining unit—a potential source of residual capacity—it lacked the means to maintain or fully deploy all of its assets, and further resources were needed to ensure machines were in working order.[59] 

The Monitor gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Mine Action Review supported and published by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), which conducted mine action research in 2016 and shared it with the Monitor. The Monitor is responsible for the findings presented online and in its print publications.

In 2015, international contributions from four states supporting clearance and risk education activities in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka totaled US$5.6 million, which represents a decrease of almost $1 million (14%) compared to 2014.[1]

The largest contributions came from the United States (US) ($2.5 million) and Japan ($2 million), toward clearance and risk education activities; and represented more than 80% of total international support in 2015.

Sri Lanka has never reported its financial contribution to its mine action program. However, in a speech on the 2012 budget, President Mahinda Rajapaksa indicated that it was substantial, stating that since 2009 the army has been engaged in demining, rebuilding, and urban development at a cost of LKR5.4 billion (approximately US$42 million).[2]

International contributions: 2015[3]

Since 2011, international contributions to mine action in Sri Lanka totaled about $60 million, and averaged $12 million million per year. In comparison, international support for mine action in Sri Lanka averaged $25 million per year in 2009–2011.

International assistance to mine action has considerably declined over the past years, dropping from nearly $25 million in 2011 to just $5.6 million in 2014 (a 77% decrease).

Summary of contributions: 2011–2015[4]

Casualties

Casualties Overview

In 2014, 21 mine/ERW casualties in 16 incidents were recorded in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, which is similar to the 22 mine/ERW casualties in 14 incidents recorded in 2013.[1] Five of the casualties in 2014 were deminers, while in 2013 there was one deminer killed.[2] Eight of the remaining 2014 casualties were adult men; five of the casualties were women and three were children (two boys and one girl). When cause of incident was recorded all 2014 casualties were from UXO. In 2014, a majority of the casualties where location is known occurred in the district of Mullaitivu, in northern Sri Lanka.[3]

In 2014, UNICEF reported that since the 1980s some 22,177 mine/ERW casualties had been recorded, including 1,603 civilian casualties. However, from 2006 to 2009 accurate casualty information was difficult to access due to ongoing conflict, likely resulting in under-reporting.[4] In April 2010, it was reported that since the 1980s there were a total of 21,993 mine casualties, including 1,419 civilian returnees; 3,770 recorded amputees among the armed forces, police, and civil defense forces; and 16,804 mine casualties among the non-state armed group, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).[5] From 1999 to the end of 2014, the Monitor identified 1,472 casualties in Sri Lanka (144 killed; 594 injured; 734 unknown).[6]

Victim Assistance

The total number of survivors in Sri Lanka, both civilian and military, was estimated to be in the thousands.[7] The National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) reported 1,474 registered civilian mine survivors injured in Sri Lanka between 1985 and the end of 2011.[8]

Victim assistance since 1999

There has been an overall increase in availability and accessibility of healthcare and social services in Sri Lanka for mine/ERW survivors and persons with disabilities in general, particularly with regard to government-provided services.[9] In the north and east of Sri Lanka, a number of primary care hospitals have been opened while roads have been re-built and maintained, increasing availability and accessibility of services since 2010.[10]

Hundreds of thousands of displaced persons returned to their homes after the end of the conflict in late 2009, including persons with disabilities and injuries, creating a need for services in new areas. The public health system provided medical treatment to mine/ERW survivors, while post-operative care, including psychosocial support, counseling, and mobility aids were provided on an increasing scale by the government and national NGOs supported by international organizations.[11]

Access and availability of physical rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka, including mine/ERW survivors, dramatically increased since 2012, principally due to more rehabilitation centers becoming operational and a general improvement of public transportation infrastructure.[12] However, a mapping of the physical rehabilitation sector in Sri Lanka led by Handicap International (HI) in collaboration with various stakeholders in 2013 showed that there remained gaps in geographical coverage, a lack of capacity among existing providers, a shortage of trained workers, and unclear referral mechanisms between health facilities and physical rehabilitation services.[13]

Other important challenges were the lack of awareness among persons with disabilities about the existence and importance of physical rehabilitation, as well as the lack of long-term follow-up at home and community level, which may result in people abandoning their rehabilitation or stopping their use of their assistive devices.[14]

Assessing victim assistance needs

In 2014, there was no combined or comprehensive data on the number or the needs of mine/ERW survivors, victims of war, or other persons with disabilities. Details of mine/ERW incidents were recorded in the national Information Management System for Mine Action database. The Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare (MoSS) maintained and updated a database of persons with disabilities for the north and east of the country.[15] UNICEF supported the Department of Social Services in the provision of assistance to vulnerable persons including persons with disabilities.[16]

NGOs providing mine risk education continued to collect data on mine/ERW survivors and maintained records, while identifying the needs of survivors and referring them to available services.[17]

Victim assistance coordination[18]

The Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition’s Division of Rehabilitation for Youth, Elderly, Disabled and Displaced and the MoSS are the lead government agencies for disability. The former is responsible for medical concerns and the latter for social.[19] Other ministries, particularly the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense, also address important issues relevant to persons with injuries and disabilities.[20]

A National Action Plan for Disability was approved in January 2014. It contains seven pillars: (1) empowerment; (2) health and rehabilitation; (3) education; (4) work and employment; (5) mainstreaming and enabling environments; (6) data and research; and (7) social and institutional cohesion. While it focuses on persons with disabilities in general, the plan also includes mine/ERW victims—in particular, support and increased accessibility to the rehabilitation sector, as well as community-based rehabilitation, are integral parts of the plan.[21]

The 2010 National Strategy for Mine Action in Sri Lanka includes victim assistance objectives.[22]

Survivor inclusion

Disabled persons’ organizations are included in the various coordination mechanisms.[23]

Service accessibility and effectiveness

Victim assistance activities[24]

In mid-2014, the ICRC phased out technical and material support to the JJCDR, the only center providing physical rehabilitation on the Jaffna peninsula. The final shipment of ICRC supplies to cover its operations until the end of 2015 was made, allowing JJCDR leadership to pursue other funding sources.[25] The end of ICRC support follows a gradual reduction of financial support to JJCDR, with a decrease of 15% in the amount reimbursed per appliance by the ICRC in 2010, 30% in 2011, and 50% in 2012. In 2013, the ICRC’s contribution to reimbursements amounted to less than 7% of JJCDR’s operational budget, with the rest being covered by other income and various donors.[26] The center offers a broad range of services, including the provision of prosthetics, orthotics, various mobility aids, physiotherapy, microcredit, and financial support for disabled students.[27] In 2014, 70 prostheses were provided to mine/ERW survivors through ICRC support at JJCDR.[28]

The Department of Social Services, as well as some mine risk education operators, provided livelihood-development programs targeting persons with disabilities, including conflict victims, through income-generation activities and housing support.[29] Vocational training was available for persons with disabilities under the age of 35 who were unmarried at one of five centers in three districts.[30]

Laws and policies

Sri Lanka lacked adequate legislation to protect and respect the rights of persons with disabilities.[31] Discrimination continued to occur in employment, education, and the provision of state services including public transportation.[32] Negative attitudes and societal discrimination toward persons with disabilities remained common, especially in rural areas, which led to long-term isolation of persons with disabilities.[33]

Access to buildings and public transportation for persons with disabilities remained rare at the end of 2014 with reports that only 2-3% of buildings are accessible.[34]

Persons with disabilities were reported to have been negatively affected by restrictions on aid projects being implemented in the north. A lack of inclusion of persons with disabilities in development initiatives, and “a lack of coordination between upholding disability rights and general human rights” was also reported.[35]

Sri Lanka ratified the CRPD on 8 February 2016.