EU Parliament upholds ‘right of reply’

27 December 2010 02:09 pm

The Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament has upheld the procedural anomaly raised by Sri Lanka’s  Ambassador to the EU, following the denial of Sri Lanka's ‘right of reply’ at an exchange of views on the post conflict period in Sri Lanka, which was held at the European Parliament on December 6.

In a letter dated 16 December 2010 addressed to Sri Lanka Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha, with reference to his written protest made to her regarding the denial of Sri Lanka's 'right of reply', Ms. Heidi Hatuala, Chairperson of the Sub-committee on Human Rights of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has requested him to “send me (her) your views in writing, expressing your Government's response to our grave concerns, I assure you it will be distributed to my colleagues of the sub-committee”.

Mr. Aryasinha earlier accused that “in the over one hour long discussion on Sri Lanka on 6 December, of the 32 MEPs on the Sub-Committee only one chose to speak, and other than for a few comments by the European Commission, most of the time was given to a number of Non-Governmental Organizations”.