Trinco local authorities urged to appoint HR committees

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 July 2006, 16:07 GMT]
Heads and members of elected local authorities in Trincomalee district were advised at a workshop held Saturday morning to take steps to appoint Human Rights Committee in their institutions to monitor HR violations and to ensure human rights are not violated in their administrative areas. The one-day workshop organized by the East Rehabilitation Organization (ERO) with the sponsorship of the Asia Foundation (AF) held at Trincomalee New Silver Star Hotel, sources said.

Heads and members of the Trincomalee Urban Council, Trincomalee Town and Gravets Pradesiya Sabha and Kuchchaveli Pradesiya Sabha and officials of these three institutions participated in the workshop, sources said.

Mr.K.Sivapalan, ERO Chairman and a Human Rights lawyer in his inaugural address said that elected local authorities are empowered to appoint sub-committees for various subjects that come under their administration.

As the violation of human rights of citizens is currently on the increase in the country, each local authority could also appoint a Human Rights Committee to monitor such violation in their areas and report to the relevant higher authorities. Such reports sent by elected local authorities would certainly have a weight when human rights organizations inquire into HR violations, Mr.Sivapalan said.