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Sri Lanka’s foreign secretary denies the need for “an external mechanism”

Speaking at a virtual meeting  focused on the ongoing UN Human Rights Council session, Sri Lankan foreign secretary, Jayanath Colombage denied the need for external mechanisms claiming that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had praised the country for the steps it had taken.

His claim omits significant sections of High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet’s statement, in particular her concern that surveillance, intimidation and judicial harassment of human rights defenders, journalists and families of the disappeared has not only continued, but has broadened to a wider spectrum of students, academics, medical professionals and religious leaders critical of government policies."

The foreign secretary, who himself stands accused of overseeing torture camps in Trincomalee during his time Sri Lanka’s armed forces, claimed that Sri Lanka was “a peaceful country”. One that was at the forefront of “defeating terrorism, curtailing extremist terrorist activities as well as building peace and reconciliation”.

His assertion follows a scathing Human Rights Watch report which detailed the ongoing abuses of Sri Lanka’s police which include systemic torture, police brutality, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings.  In the High Commissioner’s statement, she further slammed Sri Lanka noting her continued concern for those detained under the Prevention of Terrorism without charge.

In his statement Colombage highlighted the support Sri Lanka had secured from 15 countries which included China, Russia, North Korea, Pakistan and Iraq. He went on to reassert the country’s “non-alignment” policy which asserts that Sri Lanka does not want to “get caught up in power struggles”.

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