SL denies ‘house arrest’ of Canadian MP

1 January 2014 05:25 am

Sri Lanka today denied reports on ‘house arresting’ of Canadian NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan and said that the MP was moving freely according to her schedule.

Deputy Inspector General of Police- Jaffna Rohan Dias said that neither the Police nor the military had any authority to keep her under house arrest.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror the DIG further said that the media reports were false and had no factual basis.

Earlier reports said that Canada's Foreign Affairs Ministry was investigating reports that a Toronto NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan was under house arrest in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird tweeted that his staff was "working on these reports."

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Lynne Yelich tweeted that "our High Commissioner in Colombo will be making representations in Sri Lanka to determine her status."

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Consular of Canada Lynne Yelich tweeted that the Sri Lankan authorities confirmed that there is no arrest warrant for MP Rathika.
 
“Sri Lankan authorities have clarified with us there is no arrest warrant for @RathikaS. We will continue to follow closely until she is home,” she tweeted.
 
( Darshana Sanjeewa)



Pix by Lambart Rosarian