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Government will not listen to UN orders – Minister

The Minister for Irrigation and Water Management Nimal Sripala de Silva has said that the UN High Commisisoner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, could not give orders to Sri Lanka, and even if she did, the government would not comply.

Talking to reporters at the office of Mahinda Rajapakse’s SLFP, the minister said Navi Pillay was able to visit any place on the island as the country had nothing to hide.

"She now has the opportunity to see for herself the ground situation and reach a conclusion accordingly...Ms Pillay could release a good or bad report on Sri Lanka after her visit," de Silva said.

Responding to UNP claims that President Rajapakse scheduled his visit to Belarus in order to avoid the High Commissioner, de Silva said there was no need to avoid her as the invitation was extended by the government and that a meeting with the president has been scheduled at Temple Trees on Friday.

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