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UNHRC chief given unrestricted access to Chemmani mass gravesite
View(s):By Damith Wickremesekera
The Government will facilitate a visit to the Chemmani mass gravesite in Jaffna for United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk, who will arrive in the country tomorrow on a four-day tour.
The gravesite, which is under excavation, has drawn international attention, as it is believed to contain the remains of the victims of the past hostilities. Mr. Turk will be given the opportunity to visit the site and talk to people in the area, Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said.
During the first stage of the excavation, which ended on June 7, at least 19 human skeletons were recovered.
The minister told the Sunday Times Mr. Turk would have unrestricted access to both people and places during his visit, as the government wanted to demonstrate its sincerity in dealing with past human rights issues and its commitment to reconciliation in the country.
Mr. Turk’s visit from June 23 to 26 is the first by a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sri Lanka in nine years. The last visit by a UNHRC chief was in February 2016.
During the visit, the High Commissioner will call on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and hold discussions with Foreign Affairs Minister Herath. He will also meet other ministers and MPs representing all parties.
A meeting with Colombo’s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has also been scheduled, with Mr. Turk expected to assess the progress in investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
He will also travel to Jaffna and Trincomalee to meet with the governors of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. He will also visit Kandy, where he will pay respects to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and call on the chief prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya chapters.
A public discussion will be held in Colombo during his visit for Mr. Turk to engage with members of civil society organisations and the public. He is also expected to address the media before his departure.
“Substantive discussions during the visit will focus on further advancing the promotion and protection of human rights and reconciliation, in line with the Government of Sri Lanka’s ongoing constructive engagement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a continuous three-day protest is scheduled to take place at Chemmani, Jaffna, from tomorrow, calling for justice and accountability.
Organised by the People’s Action Committee, which consists of youth groups and civil society outfits, the protest is named ‘Anaiyaa vilakku’ or ‘everlasting lamp’.
The organisers urged the visiting UN Human Rights Chief to visit the fresh mass gravesite where at least 19 human skeletons, including three children, were found recently during the first phase of excavation.
The new mass grave was discovered when construction workers tried to clear the land in an area near a Hindu cemetery.
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