A/HRC/25/23 III. Recent human rights developments 12. In her oral update to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-fourth session, the High Commissioner acknowledged the achievements made by the Government, with the help of the international community, in demining, resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation since 2009. She welcomed the elections to the Northern Provincial Council in September 2013, and recommended that the Government should work with new provincial authorities to promote meaningful community participation in reconstruction and development programmes. She however also highlighted pressing concerns, including the lack of progress in accountability for serious human rights violations; the situation of detainees and former combatants, with regard to extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary killings; continued militarization5 and compulsory land acquisition6 (particularly in the north and east of the country); shrinking space for civil society and the media; rising religious intolerance; and the undermining of independent institutions, including the judiciary. 13. Following his visit in December 2013, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons also acknowledged the reconstruction effort, but emphasized the need to promote durable solutions and to address the protection of women and girls, access to land, and the withdrawal of the military from all civilian functions.7 14. In its comments on a draft version of the present report, the Government of Sri Lanka stated that, since 2009, the total strength of the military had been reduced by approximately 30 per cent in the Northern Province, and by 26 per cent in the Eastern Province, and the vast majority of checkpoints had been removed. It added that a total of 20,011 acres of private land and 5,740 acres of State land had been released in the two provinces. The High Commissioner noted, however, reports that more than 6,000 acres of private land had been acquired by the State in Jaffna around the Palaly cantonement, and that more than 2,000 petitioners had taken legal action to reclaim their land.8 The Government stated that steps were being taken to compensate the owners. 15. The High Commissioner remains concerned that non-governmental organizations are still required to register and report through a secretariat under the Ministry of Defence. She also draws attention to concerns that women are vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence when there is a heavy military presence.9 For instance, in May 2013, a soldier attached to an army camp in Nedunkerny reportedly confessed to raping a 6-year-old child. In its comments on the present report, the Government reported that the military had taken strict action in such cases. 5 6 7 8 9 See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), A Protection Assessment of Sri Lankan Internally Displaced Persons who have Returned, Relocated or are Locally Integrating (“Tool Three”), June 2013 (available from http://unhcr.lk/wpcontent/uploads/2014/01/Tool-Three-Final-Report-July-12-2013.pdf )figures 1.5, 1.6. & 1.7. See case studies on Jaffna, Sampur and Weli Oya in Centre for Policy Alternatives, Politics, Policies and Practices with Land Acquisitions and Related Issues in the North and East of Sri Lanka, November 2013, available from www.cpalanka.org/policy-brief-politics-policies-and-practices-withland-acquisitions-and-related-issues-in-the-north-and-east-of-sri-lanka/. See the press release of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons after his visit to Sri Lanka from 2 to 6 December 2013, atwww.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14086&LangID=E. See Centre for Policy Alternatives, Politics, Policies and Practices with Land Acquisitions and Related Issues (see footnote 6), p. 45. See UNHCR, A Protection Assessment of Sri Lankan Internally Displaced Persons (see footnote 5), figures 1.14, 1.15, 1.16 and 1.17. 5