A/HRC/45/36 33. Sri Lanka 120. OHCHR received continued allegations of surveillance of civil society organizations, human rights defenders and families of victims of violations, including repeated visits by police and intelligence services, questioning organizations about, inter alia, their staff and activities related to the UN. 91 In her February 2020 report, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that harassment or surveillance of human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations increased during 2019 and “in some cases, Sri Lankans who travelled to Geneva to attend sessions of the Human Rights Council were questioned about the motives of their trips, either at the airport or during visits by the police to their homes upon their return” (A/HRC/43/19, para. 32). The High Commissioner “urged the authorities to immediately end the intimidating visits by State agents and all forms of surveillance and harassment of and reprisals against human rights defenders, social actors and victims of human rights violations and their families” (A/HRC/43/19, para. 39). 121. Allegations were also reported to OHCHR that several participants at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council were questioned by authorities before and after travelling to Geneva, and several organizations reported incidents of surveillance during the Human Rights Council session and its side events in March 2020. In December 2019, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights addressed patterns of intimidation and reprisals to the Government in writing. 122. Following his July 2019 visit to Sri Lanka, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association condemned surveillance of members of civil society, including that he witnessed, and reminded the Government that it has an obligation to ensure that no acts of reprisal occur against those who wish to interact with UN human rights mechanisms. 92 The Special Rapporteur stated that before, during and after his consultations with civil society in Sri Lanka, participants at the meetings reported “receiving intimidating phone calls, demanding information on other participants, topics discussed and route plans.” The Special Rapporteur further noted that during a consultation in Trincomalee, “presumed intelligence personnel in civilian clothing were observed monitoring participants outside of the meeting place. In another location, military personnel took note of our vehicles’ number plates.”93 123. On 8 July 2020, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report. Regarding alleged “intimidating visits”, “surveillance”, “complaints of harassment” and “reprisals”, it invited the parties concerned to make formal complaints to law enforcement authorities, or to independent national institutions such as the Human Rights Commission or the National Police Commission, so that action can be taken to investigate the alleged incidents. The Government stated its commitment to ensuring that complaints received are investigated and prosecuted. It reiterated that, apart from routine security operations in the interest of national security, particularly after the devastating Easter Sunday terrorist attacks of 21 April 2019, the Security Forces and intelligence agencies are not engaged in monitoring any specific group in the country. 34. Thailand 124. On 25 September 2019, special procedures mandate holders raised concern about the alleged enforced disappearance of Mr. Od Sayavong, a Lao refugee recognized by UNHCR living in Bangkok (THA 8/2019; see also LAO 2/2019). On 15 March 2019, Mr. Sayavong met with the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights in Bangkok, and that day posted on Facebook a photo of himself in front of the UN office in Bangkok. Friends of Mr. Sayavong filed a complaint about the disappearance and discussed details of Mr. Sayavong’s whereabouts with the Bangkok police (see LAO 2/2019 and 91 92 93 44 See also A/HRC/36/31 (paras. 52–53 and Annex I, paras. 72–74) and A/HRC/42/30 (para. 75 and Annex I, para. 96). End of mission statement, Clément Nyaletsossi Voulé, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association visit to Sri Lanka (26 July 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24818&LangID=E. Ibid.