Set clear timetable to implement commitments: Canada to SL

2018-03-04

The Government of Canada called on the Sri Lankan Government to set a clear timetable and strategy for the implementation of commitments made to Sri Lankans and to ensure their human rights are protected.

Addressing the High-level Segment of the 37th UNHRC Session in Geneva this week, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Sri Lanka should ensure that the commitments made to its people are fulfilled and that the human rights of the people are protected and respected.

She said the end of Sri Lanka’s war was an important moment but it was only a first step.

“Frustrations persist among those seeking to heal the wounds of all those who suffered and wish to achieve real reconciliation. Canada is disappointed by the slow progress in implementing commitments to advance peace and reconciliation, political stability, human rights and government accountability,” she said.

She reiterated Canada’s desire for the Sri Lankan Government to ensure that a process of accountability is established which will have the trust and confidence of the war victims, including the families of the disappeared. (Lahiru Pothmulla)