Against the backdrop of an internal crisis in the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), one of its Commissioners has expressed his willingness to resign, The Daily Morning learns.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, a particular Commissioner, who wished to remain anonymous, said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana have been requested by three HRCSL Commissioners, including him, to resolve the problematic situation in dealing with HRCSL Chairperson retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Rohini Marasinghe, but that there had been no response thus far. 

Citing this reason, he said that he is willing to resign. “In carrying out our duties and responsibilities of the HRCSL, the Chairperson acts without listening to the opinions of the other Commissioners including me. We have been waiting for a considerable time for the President to take a step in this regard, but it does not seem to be something that would happen. Therefore, I am willing to resign. The other two members will also make a decision very soon. However, I am not in a position to inform the media more about my plans to resign,” he said.

In the meantime, The Daily Morning learned that the concerned Commissioner has been offered a high-level position in an institution related to the higher education sector in Sri Lanka by the relevant authorities. A gazette notification regarding an appointment for the said position is expected to be released today (9). 

HRCSL Commissioners Ven. Kalupahana Piyarathana Thera, Dr. Nimal Karunasiri and Dr. Vijitha Nanayakkara had sent a letter to Abeywardana with copies to Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and all members of the Constitutional Council on 1 June. In the relevant letter, they had claimed that Marasinghe continues to act without regard to the opinion of the other Commissioners and requested that the HRCSL, therefore, be reconstituted. Earlier, in April 2023, they had written to Wickremesinghe on the same matter.