Denying Visas To International Bar Delegation: Foreign Ministry Acting With Miscomprehension Of Facts – Bar Association

November 9, 2013 

It appears that the Ministry of External Affairs is acting with miscomprehension of facts on the grant of visas which is a matter within the Controller of Immigration and not the Ministry of External Affairs, says the Bar Association of Sr Lanka.

BASL President, Upul Jayasuriya

Issuing a statement contradicting the communique issued by the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the cancellation of visas of the International Bar Association’s high-level delegation to Sri Lanka, president of the Bar Association of Sr Lanka Upul Jayasuriya said; “We have not requested for any assistance from the Ministry either in the form of logistics or accommodation. We have made all arrangements to go ahead with the seminar at a time the topic of discussion is most relevant to  Sri Lanka.”

We publish below the statement in full;

The Bar Association of Sr Lanka in collaboration with the International Bar Association (IBL), of which the BASL is a member was organizing a seminar on  “Commonwealth Values and the Role of the Legal Profession” to be held on the 13th of November 2013 at the “Grand Monarch” at Thalawathugoda.

This seminar was to be addressed by Ms. Gabriela Knaul UN Special Rapporteur for Judges and Lawyers, the first ever UN Special Rapporteur for Judges and Lawyers Dato Param Kumaraswamy, and a senior representative of the IBA, Alex Wilks. Their visa’s were applied for by letter dated 17 August 2013 by the Secretary, Bar Association of Sri Lanka along with a visa for Mr. Sadakat Kadri. The first three visas were issued whereas Mr. Sadakat Kadri was refused his visa. Visa’s that were issued bear the following ETA Nos.

130826PG1218467 – 130826PM1504191- Gabriela Knaul

130826PG1218467 – 130826PM1504192- Paramasothi Cumaraswamy

130826PG1218467 – 130826PM1504189 – Alexander Jeffrey Wilks           Read More