UN rights chief meets Tamil leaders in Lanka

Colombo, February 7

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein travelled to Sri Lanka's Northern Province on Sunday and met ethnic Tamil leaders who sought his help in finding out the fate of over 4,000 civilians reported missing during the brutal civil war.

The UN human rights chief is in Sri Lanka on a four-day visit, also met Northern Governor HMGS Palihakkara and Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran.

"The discussions very much focused on the challenges and the problems faced, plans and achievements in connection with the region and people who aspire to see more information in terms of those missing and detained," Hussein told reporters.

During his meeting with Wigneswaran in Jaffna, the issue on political prisoners was discussed.

Wigneswaran later said Hussein's visit to the North has given some hope for the political prisoners. The UN official assured that he will raise their concerns with the government in Colombo.

"These discussions will continue today and tomorrow with the highest positions of the state," Hussein said.

Hussein, on his first visit to Sri Lanka after succeeding Navi Pillay as UN rights chief, to review measures taken by the government to investigate alleged war abuses during the war, was met with protest from the relatives of the missing people in North, the center of the civil war which ended in 2009.

The protesters sought urgent redress from him.

According to UN figures, up to 1,00,000 people were killed in the three-decade long civil war. Hundreds of people are still missing.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said most of those reported missing are probably dead.

Hussein's visit assumes significance in the wake of a UNHRC resolution last October mandating an investigation into the alleged rights abuses during Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict that ended in 2009.

In a hard-hitting report, Hussein had criticised Sri Lanka's failure to deliver justice to the victims of the 26-year conflict. He has prescribed an international "hybrid court" with foreign judges, prosecutors and investigators.

Meanwhile, the Opposition backing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said they would hand over a communiqué to Hussein protesting against the UN body's undue interference in the country.

Former foreign minister GL Peiris accused the government of lacking a coherent policy on the UNHRC resolution.

"They have no clear policy on the proposed international court," Peiris lamented. —PTI