Office for Reparations Act No. 34 of 2018 (Sri Lanka)

Summary

Established Sri Lanka's Office for Reparations to provide reparations to victims of conflict and human rights violations. The Office operates under political direction and has limited funding. Civil society including the Tamil diaspora has criticised the reparations framework as inadequate in scope, funding, and independence, particularly regarding the denial of accountability proceedings alongside reparations.

Relevance to the diaspora

Tamil diaspora victims and their families can in principle apply for reparations through the Office; however, many diaspora community members with relatives killed or disappeared are ineligible or unable to access the process from abroad; advocacy continues for a better-resourced and internationally monitored reparations programme.

Key provisions

• s.4 — mandate to award reparations to victims
• s.8 — forms of reparation (monetary, in-kind, symbolic)
• s.11 — application procedure for victims
• s.15 — Presidential oversight of the Office

Primary source

Related entries

• → UN Basic Principles on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation 2005 (van Boven/Bassiouni Principles) (UN)
• → Office on Missing Persons Act No. 14 of 2016 (Sri Lanka) (LK)
• → UN Human Rights Council Resolution 46/1 (2021) — Sri Lanka Accountability (UN)