UN urged to visit people enduring rights violations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 September 2007, 16:57 GMT]
Human right officials of the United Nations who come to Sri Lanka should visit detention camps located in Boosa and other areas, and also should meet people affected by human right violations instead of meeting Colombo government officials only, stressed several Sri Lanka human rights activists addressing a media conference held at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo.

The appeal was made on the eve of the visit of UN top human rights officials to Colombo in the first week of October.

Ms Sunila Abeyasekara, a leading human rights activist and member of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said no HR officials and journalists are allowed to visit Boosa detention camp and other areas affected by HR violation. However, UN human rights officials who come to Sri Lanka have been empowered to visit Boosa camp and other areas where people affected by human rights violations are located. UN human rights officials who visit Sri Lanka should not conduct their business while staying in Colombo according to government agenda.

In Jaffna district daily at least two civilians are killed, two are abducted. Killing and abduction have become a daily occurrences in the peninsula. No one is there to look after those affected by HR violation, she added.

No one doubts that Jaffna district is under army rule with the introduction of military identity cards to residents, disregarding the National Identity Card issued by the central government, the rights officials pointed out.