UN and UK concerned

While claiming that it was aware about the report on the arrest of two human rights activists in Sri Lanka, the United Nations said that the situation is being constantly looked at and evaluated.

“On the arrests, yes, we’ve seen the reports, we are aware of them.  And as you will recall, the Secretary-General and the President of Sri Lanka, in their 2009 joint statement, emphasized the importance of protection and promotion of human rights in keeping with international human rights standards and Sri Lanka's international obligation,” Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told media in New York on Monday.

He also said: “On Sri Lanka, obviously a number of people in the Secretariat, like all countries, everybody has portfolios and the situation is being constantly looked at and evaluated”.

Meanwhile, Britain said it was deeply concerned on the arrest of the two rights activists in Sri Lanka.

British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire told British media that Britain called on the government of Sri Lanka to allow them “immediate access to lawyers and their families”.

''With the March UN Human Rights Council underway and a resolution on Sri Lanka under draft, these arrests underline why the Council must continue its focus on Sri Lanka. The world is watching what happens there, so I urge the Sri Lankan Government to respect human rights defenders and uphold the principles of free expression and movement," Swire said.