Sri Lanka will deny visas to investigators from the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights due to conduct the UN inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan President said on Tuesday.
“We will not allow them into the country,” said Mahinda Rajapaksa when speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association, whilst adding that the domestic investigation panel had been strengthened to carry out its own investigation, reports Reuters.
Disregarding any future findings from the UN investigation, Rajapaksa, said,
“I don’t think anybody will take it [the UN investigation] seriously, other than the people who want it.”
Rajapaksa’s comments come as the UN Human Rights Chief last week said access to the island would not be needed to complete the investigation as there was a ‘wealth of information’ outside of Sri Lanka.
Access to Sri Lanka not necessary for investigation says UN Human Rights Chief (11 August 2014)
Call for submissions as 'OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka' begins (05 August 2014)
Jaya urges Modi to ensure visas are granted to UN inquiry team (24 July 2014)
India should support UN inquiry on Sri Lanka urges Tamil Nadu delegation (16 July 2014)
Chennai should be a base for UN inquiry team says BJP ally (14 July 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
