Govt. denies revoking visas for UN Rapporteur and delegation
Saturday, 9 November 2013 06:19
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IBAHRI Spokesman said visas with visa numbers were issued to each delegate
The Government has denied revoking visas for a top UN Special Rapporteur who was to arrive in Sri Lanka next week as a member of a delegation from the International Bar Association, saying the organisation was engaging in a “gross misrepresentation of facts.”
The External Affairs Ministry issuing a statement yesterday said the media release issued by the IBA’s Human Rights Institute detailing the rejection of the delegation’s visas was an attempt to “sully the image of Sri Lanka”.
The Ministry said in its statement that when visas were sought mid-August 2013 by two applicants from the IBA to participate in a seminar jointly organised by it and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka from 13-15 November 2013, the Sri Lanka High Commission in London was informed two weeks later, under intimation to the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the inability to facilitate the visas as requested, considering that the organisers of this event had not followed the due process of obtaining concurrence of the Ministry of External Affairs with regard to hosting of seminars/conferences with international participation.
Speaking to the Daily FT, a spokesperson for IBAHRI said the visas had been officially issued by the Sri Lankan Department of Immigration and Emigration Sri Lanka, with a number for every visa issued. IBAHRI Senior Program Lawyer Alex Wilks who was also scheduled to travel as part of the delegation said visas had been issued but the delegation was now being prevented from entering the country.
“This is obviously embarrassing for the Government of Sri Lanka. More importantly, the real question is, why does the Government of Sri Lanka want to block a conference on Commonwealth values and the rule of law during the Commonwealth Summit?” Wilks said.
Sri Lanka Bar Association President Attorney at Law Upul Jayasuriya told Reuters that the Department of Immigration had granted permission for the delegation to visit. But the Ministry said that the seminar had also been scheduled to be held during the Commonwealth Summit in Colombo.
“It was further clarified that during this period all the required resources will be fully utilised, resulting in practical difficulties in the conduct of any events with international participation, particularly with regard to the security and logistical aspects which would entail road closures, non-availability of hotels and accommodation facilities, etc.,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry added it had been further informed to the Sri Lanka High Commission in London that a decision had been taken to embargo the scheduling of visits and such events, during the period 20 October-20 November 2013.
“It is therefore evident that the requirement of visas to visit Sri Lanka did not arise, as there was no necessity since the event could not be scheduled, due to the stated circumstances. It is abundantly clear that the organisers had the option of rescheduling their event outside this timeframe,” the Ministry said.
IBAHRI said visas for the delegation that was supposed to attend a conference in Pannipitiya on Commonwealth Values and the rule of law and independence of the legal profession on 13 November had been issued on 28 August and revoked in November.
Sri Lanka cancelled visas of a previous IBAHRI delegation that was seeking entry to Sri Lanka on a fact-finding mission to investigate the impeachment proceedings of Chief Justice Bandaranayake. The delegation in that instance was headed by former Indian Chief Justice J. Verma. The mission was conducted remotely following the cancellation of visas by the Government of Sri Lanka for the IBAHRI delegation. (DB)
