By IANS
Geneva : The rights situation in Sri Lanka came in for sharp criticism here Tuesday from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour.
“Regrettably, the various national institutions and mechanisms that could be expected to safeguard human rights have failed to deliver adequate protection,” Arbour said addressing the 6th session of the Human Rights Council.
Arbour was on a mission to Sri Lanka recently from Oct 9-12 at the invitation of Persident Rajapakse.
“During my visit, I paid special attention to the issue of abductions and disappearances, which have been reported in alarming numbers over the past two years,” she pointed out.
“While the government pointed to several initiatives it had taken to address these issues, there has yet to be an adequate investigation or credible public accounting for the vast majority of these cases.”
The UN official also expressed concern about safeguards for those detained under the emergency regulations, including during recent mass arrests in Colombo.
She was grateful for the “broad access” she had during the visit, including to the troubled northern region of Jaffna. However, she regretted not having had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
“I would have liked to convey to them directly my deep concern with their serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including the recruitment of children, forced recruitment and abduction of adults, and political killings.”
In a direct reference to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, Arbour said that while it had previously enjoyed a proud reputation internationally, “it has had its independence compromised by the irregular appointment of its commissioners, and the credibility of its work has suffered”.
“Further, despite high expectations, the special commission of enquiry appointed by the president more than one year ago to investigate high profile killings and disappearances has yet to complete any of its cases. The eminent persons invited to observe the commission have expressed concerns about its compliance with international standards,” Arbour added.
Exercising his right of reply, a Sri Lankan delegate pointed out that the government was seriously engaged in tackling the issues raised and that accusations had been made based on inaccurate information.
He said the programmes of the Sri Lankan government in solving these problems should be recognised.
The delegate said that the vast majority of deaths had been caused by terrorist activities, and denied that the group of eminent persons had resigned – a claim apparently made by the delegation of the Netherlands.