News

Intl. rights groups invited before LLRC

By Satarupa Bhattacharjya

Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) has asked the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG), the Human Rights Watch (HRW) in New York and London-based Amnesty International to send their respective representatives to Colombo to appear before it next month.

According to an LLRC official, letters to the international non-governmental organisations were dispatched on August 31, calling for their participation “on suitable dates” in October at the ongoing hearings at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies.
While the LLRC official said that the three INGOs were yet to formally respond to the panel, the Amnesty International confirmed to Sunday Times that it had received the LLRC letter.

“Amnesty International has received an invitation from the LLRC and is discussing the request,” Sonya Merkova, press officer (South Asia), Amnesty International told the Sunday Times last Friday via e-mail from London.

In their reports three months ago, the ICG and the HRW had alleged that “Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE” had committed war crimes especially between January 2009 and the end of war in May. On world humanitarian day (19th) last month, Amnesty International had asked the UN to “independently investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.”

While the LLRC has invited Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan to appear at a date of his convenience, Ranil Wickremesinghe who as the Prime Minister signed the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE in 2002, is unlikely to be invited. At least, that seemed to be the indication till last week.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had mandated the LLRC to study the last seven years of the conflict beginning with the “failure of the 2002 ceasefire agreement.” The panel is scheduled to meet people in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi on September 18, 19 and 20 and in Jaffna on October 9, 10 and 11. It had met war-displaced people in Vavuniya last month.

Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development Arumugan Thondaman who is also leader of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress along with Sunday Island editor Manik de Silva and three representatives of the Colombo-based Gandhi Centre are expected to appear before the LLRC tomorrow.

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other News Articles
President raps Police Chief, CID takes over
CMC out? New Authority under Defence Ministry
Beijing Lanka’s biggest aid giver
Tax-free bonanza for Indian power project
China fiasco among charges against GL
Balance of power
Capri imbroglio worsens
Price increase soon in flour based products
Gota,military top brass go to China
IIFA tamasha costs State dearly
Disturbers of the peace, watch out
What price Haj pilgrimage?
Police nab petty thieves at Nallur festival
Voter registration delayed, complaints rise
Rs. 1.2 billion spent on aquaculture, but little to show for it
President needs support of all to ‘deliver the goods’ – Basil
Lanka among world’s most giving nations
Intl. rights groups invited before LLRC
US sees erosion of democracy
Timber merchant dies, mother injured as gunman opens fire in their shop
Rights of the Child: Top team from Sri Lanka to Geneva
Parliament SG first beneficiary of 18th Amendment
In search of a mini bungalow, shrouded in major controversy -- theSundayTimes INSIGHT
Mangala takes responsibility for anti-18th Amendment posters

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2010 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution