Govt. appoints ministerial committee on human rights ahead of UNHCR sessions

By Uditha Jayasinghe

Sri Lanka is preparing early for a possible challenge on accountability of alleged war crimes at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council by appointing a Ministerial Sub Committee to implement a Government human rights plan.

Sri Lanka comes under Universal Periodic Review at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva scheduled to begin early next month.

Ahead of the UN session the Government has stepped up implementation of a human rights plan by appointing a ministerial subcommittee to counter possible charges of accountability over allegations of war crimes during the last phase of the country’s three decade war in 2009.

The Sri Lankan Government in May 2008 at its Universal Periodic Review had voluntarily pledged to the UN Human Rights Council to prepare an action plan to protect human rights on various issues in the island nation.

Three years later the Cabinet approved plan was launched with every Government ministry charged with the task of implementing the action plan.

 “This is to emphasise the Government’s dedication to human rights,” insisted Acting Cabinet Spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana, addressing the media.

The action plan has three main objectives, to improve the protection of human rights, create awareness about human rights and to promote and coordinate human rights activities among diverse stakeholders.

It is divided into nine thematic areas including civil and political rights, women’s rights, rights of migrant workers, rights of internally displaced persons and prevention of torture, which would be handled by various ministries relevant to the subject.

On Wednesday the Government also launched a DVD compiled by the Defence Ministry on the bomb attacks carried out by the Tamil Tigers titled ‘Ruthless’ to ostensibly “remind” the world about the terrorist organisation.  

However, in January the Government announced that it would not present a key accountability report by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) before the UN.

The move comes after the international community headed by Canada and the US criticised the report for not dealing with alleged of war crimes by the Government.