Law Society condemns Sri Lanka

 20/11/2013

The New Zealand Law Society has joined the voices of those concerned by the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.

More than 200 lawyers and diplomats were barred from attending a joint conference to discuss the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the Commonwealth.

The Sri Lankan government revoked speakers' visas, forcing cancellation of the meeting.

"The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute and the Sri Lanka Bar Association were forced to cancel their planned joint conference ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting last week," Law Society President Chris Moore said.

Prime Minister John Key had rejected calls to stay away from the Commonwealth summit in Colombo because of concerns over Sri Lanka's human rights record, but stressed he would raise the issues during his time there.

The leaders of India, Mauritius and Canada boycotted the summit.

"The New Zealand Law Society joins the International Bar Association in condemning the continued refusal of the Sri Lankan government to recognise human rights and the rule of law," Moore said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, visited Sri Lanka in August this year and expressed concern about erosion of the rule of law and lack of explanation regarding missing persons.

Western nations and rights activists are demanding that Sri Lanka account for thousands of civilians who are suspected to have died in the final months of a quarter-century civil war that that ended in 2009 when government forces crushed separatist Tamil rebels.