The report covers the period from January to December 2009. The period under review was significant for Sri Lanka as it marked the end of the armed struggle that spanned over 26 years. The war was officially declared over by the Sri Lankan government on May 19, 2009 generating much hope at the end of a protracted war.
Public expectations were high with regard to the restoration of civil liberties which were long compromised to enable the execution of the war to an end. However, Sri Lanka was also left to deal with grave issues such as the 300, 000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), a war-battered economy and the lack of investment and industrial development, in addition to dealing with allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.
This report looks at the conduct of the Sri Lankan Legislature during the year 2009 and how Parliament dealt with issues related to transparency, accountability, good governance and human rights during the last phase of Eelam War IV and its immediate conclusion.
Significant attention is also paid to the area of human rights, given its extreme importance in times of war, and the immediate aftermath when countries tend to experience more violations of rights that are constitutionally guaranteed. In addition, the report covers a range of topics including the specific issue of IDPs and freedom of expression concerns in Sri Lanka.
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