UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by Sri Lankan shooting

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay said she was deeply disturbed by the shooting of Sunday Leader Journalist Faraz Shaukatally on Friday night and expressed her frustration at the Sri Lankan Government’s lack of investigation into alleged violations of humanitarian law in the final phase of the conflict, in an interview in London last weekend. Pillay told Channel 4 News in London on Saturday that she was “deeply disturbed” by the shooting of a Sri Lankan journalist and calls on the Sri Lankan government to protect him.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the Sri Lankan government to “provide immediate protection” for Faraz Shaukatally, who is currently in intensive care after being shot by three unidentified gunmen on Friday night. Pillay said: “It’s an act of attempted assassination so he needs to be protected immediately.”

Pillay added: “I’m deeply disturbed by this particular shooting because it’s a journalist and he’s attached to a newspaper that’s known to be critical of the government, particularly on accountability and in justice issues which are issues that I cover and I will be reporting to the Human Rights Council my concern over extra judicial killings, abductions and this kind of treatment and suppression of freedom of expression.”

Police said three men broke into his house and opened fire on him while he was in his bedroom. The journalist was rushed to hospital with bullet wounds in his neck. Shaukatally is undergoing further tests in intensive care ahead of surgery. The President has ordered a special investigation into the shooting and the inquiry has been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department. However, when asked about suggestions that the government could have been involved in the shooting, Pillay told Channel 4 News: “That’s why there has to be a proper investigation before we can conclude that. In the meantime it’s law enforcement that has to provide him protection and it would demonstrate on the part of the government that they care if one of their citizens is fired upon. Everybody should care (about) who are the people who are going around shooting other people. This is what law enforcement is about.

“The Sri Lankan government swears by the integrity of their army and their police, well it’s time they demonstrated that. These institutions built into the democracy must now begin to work properly and this is an immediate instance where they can demonstrate that. “

Pillay also stated that Sri Lanka must provide a credible investigation involving the civil society, because “if it is done by the government or the police themselves they do not enjoy the confidence of the people at this stage.” Sri Lanka’s rights record has been subject to criticism over alleged excesses during the military’s final phase in defeating Tamil Tiger separatists.

Pillay also added that she was frustrated by the Sri Lankan government’s lack of investigation, with offers of UN help, to establish what happened at the end of the country’s civil conflict.

Pillay insists: “We want to provide them with expert investigative assistance, we are ready to provide this kind of assistance and I’m really disappointed it has not been taken up.”

She added: “It’s particularly bad because this was government forces firing on civilians indiscriminately; they were shelled and the normal responsibility of governments is to protect people, not to kill them.” (CHANNEL 4 NEWS)