Sunila Abeysekera, one of the best-known activists in Sri Lanka, has advised Human Rights Watch on human rights work in the country for more than a decade and a half. She has tirelessly fought against abuses by both sides in Sri Lanka’s long civil war.

“When I started working on human rights two decades ago, it was not easy,” Abeysekera said. “One is regarded as a troublemaker, sometimes as a traitor. Questioning the role of the government and of the different political actors in destroying democratic structures and creating a militaristic environment led to attacks from all sides.”

As executive director of INFORM, a nongovernmental human rights monitoring organization, Abeysekera fights to expose serious abuses and bring institutional change. For over two decades, Abeysekera has struggled against the entrenched culture of impunity to hold perpetrators accountable for enforced disappearances, killings of civilians of all ethnicities, violence against women, and the protection of those displaced by the armed conflict.

With a rare ability to act as researcher, advocate, and spokesperson both within Sri Lanka and abroad, Abeysekera is internationally recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s preeminent human rights activists. In a war driven by ethnic tensions, she refuses to take sides, denouncing abuses by both the government and armed separatist Tamil Tigers. Her neutrality and fierce commitment have won Abeysekera the respect of Sinhalese and Tamils alike. She has faced death threats for her work in an environment that has become increasingly difficult for human rights defenders, but remains steadfast in her work. Human Rights Watch honors Abeysekera for bridging the gaps between ethnic groups and upholding the human rights of all Sri Lankan citizens.