Zeid says discussions with Wigneswaran, Palihakkara “constructive”

• Pays call on Chief Prelates, visits Dalada Maligawa in Kandy 
• Meets officials from the National Human Rights Commission 
• Will take up disappearances, land restitution and PTA detainees with “highest State officials” before wrapping up visit
• UN Human Rights Chief to conclude 4-day visit with press conference today

By Dharisha Bastians 

United Nations Human Rights Chief ZeidRa’ad Al Hussein said his discussions so far had been “constructive” and pledged to discuss Sri Lanka’s missing, detained and the return of land in the war battered north and east with the country’s highest officials. 

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid who is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Government, before he presents his oral report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in June this year, assessing the country’s progress on the 2015 UNHRC resolution and reconciliation and accountability processes.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein during his meeting with the Office of the National Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka

 

Speaking to the Jaffna-based media after his discussion with Northern Governor H.M.G.S.Palihakkara on Sunday, Zeid said both the meeting with the Governor and his discussion with Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran had been “constructive”.

“Discussion was very much focused on the challenges the province faces but also the plans and the achievements in connection with the region and the people who aspire to see more information in terms of those detained and those missing as well as the issue of the release of lands,” Zeid told reporters. He added that the discussions on these issues and others would continue in Colombo with what he called the “highest officials of the State”.

In the Northern Province, Zeid also met with internally displaced persons and families of the missing who appealed to the UN Human Rights Chief to determine the fate of their disappeared loved ones.

Yesterday, the UN High Commissioner visited the Sacred Temple of the Tooth and paid his respects to the chief prelates of the Asgiriya and Malwatte chapters in Kandy. 

He called on the Chief Prelate of Malwathu Chapter Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sidhdharatha SumangalaThera and the Chief Prelate of Asgiri Chapter Most Venerable Galagama Sri AththadassiThera.

During the meeting, the Chief Prelates had emphasised that any matter among communities should be solved through a domestic mechanism and there was  no need for an international process. The present Government has the ability to carry out that process. They have also pointed out that the current issues of the country should be addressed based on Buddhism.

Speaking to media afterwards Al Hussein said it was a privilege and an honour to visit the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy.

He said the visit to the Temple of the Tooth was a moving experience and a very rare privilege for anyone and he was extremely grateful that he had the opportunity to do so and listen very carefully to the guidance and the wisdom and the opinions of the chief prelates.

In Colombo later in the day, Zeid also met with Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi and commanders of the tri-forces at the Ministry of Defence last afternoon, the UN said.  He also met with officials from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. On Sunday (7), Zeid travelled to the island’s war devastated provinces of the north and east for his meetings with Chief Minister Wigneswaran and Governor Palihakkara. He also travelled to Trincomalee in the Eastern Province for discussions with Eastern Province Chief Minister Z.A. Nazeer Ahmad and Governor and former Defence Secretary, Austin Fernando.

The UN Human Rights Envoy’s high level meetings are scheduled for today (9), when he is expected to hold talks with President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader and TNA Chief R. Sampanthan in Colombo. The visiting High Commissioner met with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Saturday soon after his arrival in Colombo.