UNHRC technical officer to visit Sri Lanka ahead of High Commissioner’s visit
Aug 23, Colombo: External Affairs Minister of Sri Lanka Prof. G.L. Peiris says a technical official from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) office in Geneva would visit the country on the advice of HR High Commissioner Navi Pillay.
Peiris said the UNHRC official would make the necessary groundwork for Pillay’s visit on a later date.
“We will make available all resources at his disposal to do his work. He can go wherever he wants and assess the situation himself,” the Minister said.
According to Peiris, the government on a previous occasion had invited Pillay to visit Sri Lanka, but she had expressed her intentions of visiting the country after the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report was released.
Peiris said that Pillay, who has been very critical of Sri Lanka’s human rights situation and insisted on an international investigation into Sri Lanka’s war, has now agreed to visit Sri Lanka.
The government believes Pillay’s visit will help to enlighten the international community about the progress and development achieved by Sri Lanka after ending terrorism three years ago.
