Issuing a statement the Sri Lanka's External Affairs Ministry said the interference by the appointment the panel has potential for exploitation by vested interests hostile to the process of reconciliation taking place in the country.
The statement pointed out that the that the Joint Statement of the President of Sri Lanka and the Secretary-General issued at the conclusion of the Secretary-General's visit to the country on 23rd May 2009 makes no reference to "allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed during military operations between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."
The panel appointed by the UN Chief is to advise him on the implementation of the commitment on human rights accountability made in the Joint Statement issued by him with the Sri Lankan President during his visit soon after the end of the conflict.
The Ministry points out that Sri Lanka is a sovereign state with a robustly independent judiciary and a tried and tested system for the administration of justice.
"The Government of Sri Lanka has consistently promoted and protected human rights. Indeed, this has been explicitly acknowledged by legitimate organs of the United Nations system. The Human Rights Council of the United Nations has formally adopted, after the cessation of the conflict situation, a resolution commending, inter alia, the commitment of Sri Lanka to the promotion and protection of human rights," the Ministry said.
The Ministry said the country is beginning to rebuild the lives of the people who suffered violence and terror of unimaginable proportions, unleashed on them by the LTTE for over 30 years.
"After a long and difficult struggle the Government of Sri Lanka has successfully rid the country of terror, and is in the process of rebuilding the lives of her people," the Ministry noted.
As an important part of the rebuilding process the President has appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, a statutory regime available under Sri Lankan law, the Ministry pointed out.
"The Government is confident that the Commission would make a most significant contribution to the further strengthening of national amity, through a process of restorative justice," it said.
Sri Lanka President last month appointed an eight-member 'Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission' to report on the lessons to be learnt from the events in the period between 21st February 2002 to 19th May 2009.
The spokesman for the UN Chief said yesterday the panel is not an investigative body but a resource to advise the Secretary-General and it will be available as a resource to Sri Lankan authorities should they wish to implement the commitments made in the Joint Statement.
No comments:
Post a Comment