Human Rights Chief talks political prisoners, disappearances and release of land on North-East visit
 |
The UN Human Rights chief discussed the “challenges” faced by the Tamil people, in talks with the Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council C. V. Wigneswaran on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said he held a "constructive" meeting with the chief minister, adding,
“Discussions very much focussed on the challenges the province faces but also the plans and the achievements in connection with this region and the people who aspire to see more information in terms of those detained and those missing as well as the issue of the release of land”.
“These discussions will continue of course in the course of today tomorrow and in Colombo with the highest officials of the state,” he added.
 |
Justice Wigneswaran also handed the High Commissioner a list of 4,000 people who have been listed as missing since the end of the armed conflict, alongside dates and places they were last seen.
 |
Before entering the meeting, the UN human rights chief stopped to talk to protestors outside the office, who were calling on the UN to help find their missing relatives.
The High Commissioner also met with Sri Lanka’s Governor of Northern Province. H. M. G. S. Palihakkara, who thanked the High Commissioner for his visit and said the Sri Lankan government would continue to work with the international system.
 Photograph: @UNSriLanka |
See also:
UN High Commissioner meets protesting relatives of the disappeared in Jaffna (07 Feb 2016)
Human Rights Chief visits IDP camp in Jaffna (07 Feb 2016)
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.
