Sri Lanka slams international HR panel head

Colombo, June 24: Sri Lanka has slammed the head of an international panel that was invited to oversee the investigations by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the high profile human rights violations media reports here said.

According to a Colombo-based English weekly newspaper, Sri Lanka's Attorney General C R de Silva in a hard hitting letter to the head of the International Independent Group of Persons (IIGEP) and former Indian Chief Justice, P N Bhagwati, has taken offence to two public statements issued by him on the progress made in the human rights probe.

''In view of the Government of Sri Lanka, the IIGEP has exceeded its mandate indirectly proposing to the government, that an international human rights monitoring mechanism be established or invited to Sri Lanka,'' The Nation, an independent newspaper has quoted the Attorney General as saying in the letter.

The IIGEP was constituted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in February this year to oversee the investigations carried out by the Presidential Commission Inquiry tasked to look into several high profile human rights violations including the killings of 17 aid workers in Tricomalee and former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

In its first report on June 1, the IIGEP said the Presidential Commission had so far made 'hardly any noticeable progress' in investigations and inquiries since its inception in November 2006.

''Moreover, since our formation in February 2007, we have identified and raised a number of concerns with the Commission and the Government of Sri Lanka. We remain concerned that current measures taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Commission to address issues such as the independence of the Commission, timeliness and witness protection are not adequate and do not satisfy international norms and standards,'' the IIGEP said.

The IIGEP statement issued by Justice Bhagwati also said.''it is critical that the Presidential Commission and IIGEP not be portrayed as a substitute for robust, effective measures, including national and international human rights monitoring.'' However, the Attorney General has reportedly charged that the IIGEP was timing their statements to embarass the government of Sri Lanka at certain international forums, pointing out that the IIGEP has issued its first report to coincide with the UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva.

According to the report, the AG has also pointed out that the Presidential Secretariat has already allocated Rs.13 million for the activities of the Commission of Inquiry while a supplementary estimate of Rs.90 million has already been approved for this year.

UNI

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