A Brief Open Letter To Navi Pillay
Your visit to Sri Lanka, after years of failed efforts by the Sri Lankan Government to insult and intimidate you, is most welcome. Its outcome will be critically important for the future of Sri Lanka – whether it can evolve as a democracy where universal human rights are observed or whether the present autocratic genocidal regime will be further entrenched in power for the indefinite future.
We are confident that you will act strictly consistent with the responsibilities of your high Office, and not let external pressures deter you from your task, as reportedly was the case during the final months of the war, according to the UN Internal Review of UN Actions in Sri Lanka—called the Petrie report (1)
Navi Pillay
To your credit, you were the only high UN official who was prepared to speak the truth about ongoing atrocities and their possible implications as violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, before you were effectively silenced, until the end of the war —when you called for a independent international investigation , explaining your reasons for it, which subsequently available information has amply justified. The Petrie report noted the irony of the “UN’s most senior human rights and humanitarian law official not having a direct role in the UN monitoring or supervision or oversight for UN action, or UN engagement with Security Council”
Navi Focuses On Religious Intolerance As Ravana Balaya Asks Her To Go home
August 27, 2013
The issue of religious intolerance in Sri Lanka was heavy on the agenda when UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay met with senior Government Ministers yesterday while hardline Buddhist monks leading the Ravana Balaya movement protested outside the United Nations Headquarters in Colombo.
Pillay whose meetings with Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem and National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara focused significantly on growing religious extremism in Sri Lanka against the Muslim community also discussed the Weliweriya incident and the still in force Prevention of Terrorism Act with the two ministers.
Minister Vasudeva Nanyakkara briefed Pillay about the steps taken to enact the anti-hate laws in order to stop the spread of extremism and hate against a community or religion.
Minister Hakeem said that he had briefed the High Commission about the steps taken to urge the Government to take action against the spread of hate campaigns against Muslims by the Muslim representatives within the Government.
All the while Monks from the hardline Sinhala movement Ravana Balaya clashed with police outside the UN HQ in Thunmulla yesterday, demanding to be allowed into the premises to hand over petitions to officials there.
The movement was protesting strongly against Pillay’s visit to the island.
Spelling her name “Pillai” the protestors held placards calling the UN human rights envoy a LTTE agent and demanded that she oversee the human rights situations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria instead of Sri Lanka.
Large numbers of police personnel were deployed to ensure the demonstration did not get unruly. When monks attempted to break the police barricades law enforcement officers formed a human chain to prevent the intrusion.
Photo Vikalpa | Groundviews | CPA
