UNHRC to be briefed on probe into killings of students, aid workers

26 February 2013 01:10 am

The Attorney General’s Department will brief anyone interested in knowing about the progress on investigations into the 2006 killing of five students in Trincomalee and 17 aid workers in Mutur.

This will be done during United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva.

Sri Lanka had assured the UNHRC last year that investigations into these two incidents would be resumed.  

International organizations such as the Amnesty International had vigorously questioned the steps taken by the Sri Lankan Government on these tragic events and this led to the Attorney General’s Department reopen the cases for further investigations.  

The AG’s Department has sent three officials to Geneva to assist the Sri Lankan authorities in countering propaganda against the country. A top department official said the three senior officials would leave for Geneva on March 9, in place of the officials there.

Deputy Solicitors General Shavendra Fernando, Suhada Gamalath and Dulip Navaz are the three senior officials assigned to work with the Sri Lankan diplomats.

“We need the presence of senior officials when the UNHRC starts discussing the proposed resolution on Sri Lanka. Then, we can brief them about the steps taken regarding the various contentious issues. We have done a great deal of work in investigating the tragic incidents which took place in Mutur and Trincomalee.  We will answer any of the questions asked by any interested member,” the official said.

The UNHRC session started yesterday and will end on March 22.  

United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay will submit a report to the UNHRC on Sri Lanka. It will carry her observations on the steps taken by the government sequent to the resolution adopted in March last year.   

The United States has said it would introduce a procedural resolution on Sri Lanka building upon the previous resolution.  The US is planning to ask the Sri Lankan government to do more to bring about reconciliation and to address accountability issues. (KB)