HRC on a fact-finding mission to Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2003, 18:47 GMT]
The Chairman of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, Dr.Godfrey Gunatilake, with two other commissioners, Ms. Manouri Muttetuwagama and Mr. Ameer Zeinudeen, arrived in Trincomalee Wednesday on a two-day fact finding mission, sources said.

Dr. Gunatilake said Wednesday after the first day of discussions with representatives of various agencies that he is on a visit to Trincomalee to gather information regarding human rights activities and steps taken to ensure human rights in the district in future

Sri Lanka Human Rights commission Chairman Dr.Godferey Gunatilake ( with spectacles) with Commissioners Ms Manouri Muttuewagama, Mr.Amir Zeinudeen and HRC Secretary Mr.D.H.Siriwardene are coming out of the Trincomalee HRC regional office after morning discussion with representatives of armed forces and civil officials.

The HRC team led by its chairman held discussions with the representatives of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Police Wednesday morning at the regional office of the HRC in Trincomalee. Lieutenant M.R.S.Rajapakse, Captain Kapuliyadde, Major C.Gurunawardene, Major Attapattu and Brigadier A.S.M.Zaheer of the Sri Lanka Army, Commander M.K.A.De Silva and Mohotti of the Sri Lanka Navy, Superintendent of Police Daya Samaraweera, Headquarters Inspector Dassanayake and HarbourPolice OIC Indika Perera of Sri Lanka Police briefed the HRC team about their human rights activities in the district.

Later, the HRC team held discussions with the Divisional Secretaries of Trincomalee town and gravets, Kinniya, Kuchchaveli and Kantale Messrs Sundaram Arumainayagam, M.M.Nowbal, K.S.Jeyachandra and K.Piyadasa respectively. The Divisional Secretaries briefed the HRC team on the problems and difficulties faced by the internally displaced people now staying in welfare centres and refugee camps.