A key minister in the Sirisena-government has spoken out about continued intimidation of human rights activists by security forces, and said he was "ashamed" to be part of the ruling coalition.
Minister of National Co-existence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan told family members of the disappeared at a meeting in Akkaraipattu, Amparai, that the organisers of the meeting, Brito Fernando and another activist, were intimidated by the military, JDS reported.
“We have been threatened by police and military intelligence during the former regime while campaigning for justice for the families of the disappeared. I am ashamed to be a minister in a government that came to power promising to end such intimidation,” said Mano Ganesan, who is one of the few Tamil ministers in the current government.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera also addressed the gathering and told the families that the government will ‘find every possible child’ who disappeared and clarify what happened to the rest.
Participants in the meeting urged the government to fully implement the UNHRC resolution passed in October last year, which calls for a justice mechanism with international judges and prosecutors to deliver accountability for human rights violations.