Responding to reports that more than 1,000 personnel from Sri Lanka’s military and police are to be deployed to Haiti as part of the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF), Renzo Pomi, Amnesty International’s Representative at the United Nations in New York, said:
“There remain serious and unresolved allegations of widespread sexual abuse of children by Sri Lankan personnel during previous deployments in Haiti. Sri Lanka’s authorities, along with the GSF leadership, the states part of the Standing Group of Partners, and the UN must be absolutely transparent about how the screening process for this latest deployment has been carried out, what further safeguarding measures have been put in place, and what accountability mechanisms have been established to address any potential new allegations against Sri Lankan and all other deployed forces.
“Senior Sri Lankan military officers suspected of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other international crimes should be excluded from participating in any vetting processes.
In Haiti and beyond, the ongoing lack of accountability for sexual abuse allegations against UN and other peacekeeping forces is lamentable
Renzo Pomi, Amnesty International’s Representative at the United Nations in New York
