Pillay powwows with top envoys

August 27, 2013  

Top diplomats in Colombo met with visiting UN Human Rights Chief Navanethem Pillay for a closed door luncheon at the Cinnamon Lakeside yesterday, where human rights and devolution were high on the agenda, the Daily FT learns.
US Ambassador Michelle Sison, Indian High Commissioner Y.K. Sinha, Australian High Commissioner Robyn Mudie, French Ambassador Christine Robichon and Charge d’affairs of the EU delegation in Colombo Terhi Lehtinen participated in the discussion with the UN Envoy at Earls Court last afternoon.
Indian Envoy Sinha briefly outlined the issues pertaining to devolution at the luncheon, while ambassadors from the Western states were vocal about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, sources told the Daily FT.
The UN Envoy briefly outlined her program schedule during her visit to the island to the diplomats during the meeting, it is learnt.

Pillay is in Sri Lanka on a fact-finding mission and is mandated to provide technical assistance to the Government to implement two UNHRC Resolutions calling for investigations into alleged rights abuses during the war and a political settlement to the ethnic conflict.

CRIES UNHEARD..

August 27, 2013

A protest was held by relatives of people who had disappeared during the war opposite the Jaffna Public Library, where the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights met with District Secretaries from the Norther Province today (Aug 27). The protesters were not allowed to meet Navi Pillay due to security reasons, however were allowed to handover a letter to the UN office in Jaffna, addressed to the human rights chief.