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Media
Release
FM hails
victory at Human Rights Council
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama has hailed Sri
Lanka’s resounding victory at the Special Session of the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva yesterday (27 May 2009), calling it “an
unambiguous and emphatic endorsement by the international community of
the Sri Lankan Government’s strategy to defeat terrorism and its
pursuit of peace and reconciliation within the framework of a Sri
Lankan agenda, as embodied in the Mahinda
Chinthana,”. He
said that this victory is a tribute by the world at large to the wise
leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has succeeded in
steering the country out of turbulent waters into an era of lasting
peace and prosperity.
The Minister further stated that the vote on the
resolution submitted by Sri Lanka, titled “Assistance to Sri
Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights” ,
supported by 29 countries, with 12 voting against and 6 abstentions in
the 47 member Council clearly reflected the undeniable fact that the
overwhelming majority of humanity is solidly behind Sri Lanka. He pointed out that this
historic victory at the premier international forum on human rights is
also a rejection of the attempts by certain elements to denigrate the
successful accomplishment of the great humanitarian mission undertaken
by the valiant Sri Lankan security forces to liberate the people of the
North and the East from the tyranny of LTTE control. He also noted that this vote
underscores the strong support for Sri Lanka within the international
community for its ongoing plans to provide maximum assistance and
facilities to the large number of IDPs, who had been forcibly displaced
by the LTTE during the conflict period, and the expeditious
resettlement of these people in their original places of habitation
within the shortest possible time.
The Minister said that he was greatly encouraged by
the commendation of the Council for the measures taken by the
Government of Sri Lanka to address the urgent needs of the IDPs. The resolution had stressed that
in the aftermath of the conclusion of hostilities, the priority in
terms of human rights remains the provision of necessary assistance to
ensure relief and rehabilitation of persons affected by the conflict,
including the IDPs, as well as the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s economy
and infrastructure. It also
welcomed the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of former
child soldiers in the Eastern
Province.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that the passage of
the resolution in Geneva, reaffirmed the
respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Sri Lanka
and its sovereign rights to protect its citizens and combat terrorism,
while condemning all attacks that the LTTE had unleashed on the
civilian population and its practice of using civilians as human
shields.
The resolution also welcomed President
Rajapaksa’s commitment to a political solution, with the
implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to
bring about lasting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Minister Bogollagama expressed his sincere thanks
and profound appreciation to all friendly countries which had rallied
round Sri Lanka at
this crucial juncture, in supporting the resolution tabled by Sri Lanka, as well as both member states
and observers, whose Permanent Representatives in Geneva
had spoken passionately in favour of Sri Lanka. He recognized the efforts of his
Cabinet colleague, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Disaster
Management & Human Rights and the entire team at the Permanent
Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva, headed by Ambassador Dr. Dayan
Jayatilleka, as well as the pivotal role played by Sri Lankan Missions
abroad in effectively articulating Sri Lanka’s position to their
respective capitals, which had secured this outstanding victory for the
country. The Minister
himself had personally telephoned many of his counterparts represented
in the Human Rights Council
and sought their support for Sri Lanka, which has now been
manifested in the outcome
in Geneva.
The Minister also commended his Deputy Minister,
Hussein A. Bhaila for his untiring efforts in meeting and briefing
several delegations at the recently concluded 36th Session
of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) in Damascus.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
28 May 2009
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Media Release
Government deeply concerned over the
plight of trapped civilians
The Government attaches the highest priority for
the safety and welfare of the civilians, who are currently being held
hostage by the LTTE in the narrow coastal strip in Mullaitivu.
Thus, the military operations to free the entrapped civilians have been
painstakingly slow, in order to avoid causing civilian
casualties. Despite enormous logistical and other operational
constraints, the Government has been sending an uninterrupted supply of
food, medicine, fuel and other essential items for these civilians.
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama made these observations when the
Representative of the UN Secretary General on the Human Rights of
Internally Displaced Persons, Prof. Walter Kaelin called on him at the
Foreign Ministry today (03 March 2009). The UN official arrived
in Sri Lanka
yesterday on a four-day visit, during which he will hold discussions
with government officials, as well as visit the IDP welfare villages
and IDP transit points in Vavuniya.
The Foreign Minister briefed Prof. Kaelin on the
steps taken by the Government to provide basic amenities at the IDP
villages and transit points, which are receiving ever growing numbers
of civilians who have risked their lives to flee from LTTE
captivity. Already, over 62,000 civilians have braved the bullets
of the LTTE and come to the Government controlled areas, and are being
well cared for.
Acknowledging that there are still several
shortcomings in the IDP camps, the Minister said that the Government is
addressing these issues expeditiously. It has already arranged
family reunions of several inmates as well as provided
telecommunications facility to the camps.
Referring to his last visit to Sri Lanka in September
2008, Prof. Kaelin recalled his meeting with the Defence Secretary,
Gotabaya Rajapaksa where he had commended the role of the Sri Lanka
Army in its military operations, which had kept civilian casualties to
a minimum. However, he expressed concern that as the Army
approaches the no-fire zone, civilians could get caught up in the
fighting. He said that the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka
share a common interest in saving the lives of these innocent
civilians, which is a major challenge.
Prof. Kaelin also said that it would be necessary
to provide additional space to accommodate the anticipated influx of civilians
fleeing from LTTE control to the Government areas. Admitting that
a temporary congestion in the IDP camps in the initial phase would be
inevitable, he called upon the Government to expand the facilities to
the residents, so that they could stay in these facilities in
reasonable comfort, until their return to their original places of
habitation.
Foreign Minister Bogollagama stated that it is the
policy of the Government to ensure the expeditious re-settlement of the
IDPs in their own areas, but that de-mining and re-building of the
damaged infrastructure and housing should be undertaken on a priority
basis before this could be done. He appealed for assistance from
the UN System and the wider international community in this endeavour.
He also briefed Prof. Kaelin on the Government’s firm commitment
in evolving a durable political solution to the present conflict,
through an inclusive process which would be acceptable to all
communities in Sri
Lanka. In this regard, the
Minister also referred to the recent dialogue with the Sri Lankan Tamil
diaspora that the Government has launched on his initiative, which has
been extremely useful in understanding the concerns and aspirations of
the expatriate Tamils of Sri Lankan origin.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
03 April 2009
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Media
Release
High Commissioner for Human Rights’
Statement is unfounded and
lacks credibility
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights wishes to
express its strong
sense of surprise and dismay at the tone and content of the press
release issued today
(Friday 13) by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights. Especially in
the context that when High Commissioner Navanetham Pillai met
Minister for Disaster
Management and Human Rights on 04 March in Geneva during the High Level Segment
of the UN Human Rights Council, the detailed figures relied upon
in the statement were
never raised. Neither did the Office of the High Commissioner
discuss with, nor did it
seek the views of, the Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the
UN at Geneva
on the
highly questionable, unverified and unsubstantiated figures used
in the statement. The
claims of 2,800 civilians being killed in a 7-week period from 20
January and a further
7,000 being injured are totally unacceptable and are rejected as
being no more than the
repetition of propaganda emanating from uncleared areas of the
Wanni. The Ministry of
Disaster Management and Human Rights deplores the apparently
unprofessional manner
in which the Office of the High Commissioner has conducted itself
in uncritically
repeating information from unverified and unnamed “credible
sources”.
Unlike many of the senior officials of the United Nations,
including Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, who have called on the LTTE to let the civilians
escape to safety, the High
Commissioner’s omission in not unequivocally demanding the
free movement of
civilians, is most regrettable. This is the main issue involving
human rights of civilians
caught up in the conflict that should have commanded her
attention, but this issue of
prime importance has not been commented on.
The Ministry also notes with regret that despite repeated
assurances from the Government
that the security forces were instructed to respect the no-fire
zone and that they do not use
long range weapons, the Office of the High Commissioner still
continues to repeat
unfounded claims of civilian casualties due to shelling. The
Government of Sri
Lanka
will place all these facts before the High Commissioner at the
earliest possible
opportunity and seek an immediate clarification from
her Office.
16th March 2009
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SAARC
Council of Ministers pledge cooperation to combat terrorism and call for global
initiatives to protect the interests of developing economies
The SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo on 27-28
February renewed their commitment to strengthen comprehensive cooperation
among SAARC Member States to combat and eliminate all forms and
manifestations of terrorism, and affirmed the need to further the legal
regime and institute pragmatic cooperation to address the issue
effectively. The Ministers made this pledge in a Ministerial Declaration
on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism at the conclusion of the 31st
Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers, under its current Chair, the
Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Rohitha Bogollagama
Addressing a media briefing yesterday(28th
February ) at the Ceylon Continental Hotel, Colombo, the conference
venue, Minister Bogollagama referred to the inaugural address to the
Council by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 27th
February where he had stressed the need for the Council of Ministers to
be seized of current common challenges confronting South Asia and the
duty of the Council to give directions towards finding meaningful
solutions. In this context, the President had highlighted the challenges
of terrorism and the global economic crisis. He had
further emphasized that the region should let its collective voice
be heard in international fora in the quest for global solutions to the
economic crisis.
Minister Bogollagama said that the Council
of Ministers had heeded President Rajapaksa's call and ably assisted
by the Foreign Secretaries and Senior Officials of SAARC Member States,
adopted two important documents, namely, the SAARC Ministerial
Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism and the SAARC
Ministerial Statement on Global Economic Crisis.
Elaborating on the Declaration on
Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, which the Minister highlighted
as significant for the region, he observed
that the agreement in the Declaration to consider the development of an
integrated border management mechanism is the first occasion on which
such an understanding has been voiced by Member States. He
also referred to the Council of Ministers' decision to establish a
High-Level Group of Eminent Experts to review and make proposals to
further strengthen the SAARC anti-terrorism mechanisms, including for
pragmatic cooperation.
Referring to the Ministerial Statement on
Global Economic Crisis, Minister Bogollagama noted that it projected the
collective view of SAARC Member States on this current issue of critical
concern for the South Asian region. While the Member States agreed
that the Global Economic Crisis affects both developed and developing
countries, including in the region, they called for special
stimulus packages to cushion the impact of the crisis. They
had referred in the Statement to both regional and global measures
that need to be explored in seeking solutions to the crisis. The Foreign
Minister stated that while recognizing the need to strengthen
intra-regional trade, the SAARC Council of Ministers has agreed to
develop mechanisms to create bilateral arrangements in the region to
address short-term liquidity difficulties and to supplement international
financing arrangements. The Council has also called on multilateral
agencies such as World Bank and ADB as well as development partners to
consider a moratorium on repayment of debt.
Apart from considering these two important current issues of
concern for the region, the Council reviewed and assessed progress in the
implementation of the decisions of the 15th SAARC Summit in Colombo and renewed its commitment to the
comprehensive realization of the vision enumerated by the Leaders of
Member States in Colombo
last August.
The Council and its preceding meetings of Foreign Secretaries and
Senior Officials of SAARC Member States deliberated on a series of
issues, activities and programmes on regional cooperation. These included
the consideration of several Reports of SAARC ministerial meetings held
since the 15th Summit
including the Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Science and Technology,
Energy, and Agriculture. They had also taken up for
consideration, matters relating to Economic Cooperation, implementation
of SAFTA, reducing the sensitive lists and the SAARC Agreement on Trade
in Services. Issues pertaining to the SAARC Development Fund;
Operationalization of the SAARC Food Bank Board; and the Action Plan on
Poverty Alleviation and SAARC Developed Goals were also discussed.
The Council also took up for consideration, matters related to the
SAARC Award and SAARC Youth Award. As recommended by the Selection
Committee of the SAARC Youth Award 2008, the Council conferred the Award
on the theme “From Himalayan Glaciers to verdant plains to coral
reefs – protecting the environment of South Asia” upon Ms.
Uswatta Arachchige Deepani Jayantha of Sri Lanka. Foreign Minister
Bogollagama presented the Award to Ms Jayantha before a
distinguished audience at the dinner he hosted in honour of the visiting
SAARC Foreign Ministers and delegates on the previous evening.
The Council decided that the theme for the SAARC Youth Award 2009
would be – “Outstanding contribution to humanitarian work in
the aftermath of Natural Disasters”; and authorized the Secretary
General to initiate the process of selection for the Award.
The SAARC Council of Ministers meeting was preceded by the
35th Session of the Programming Committee (Senior Officials meeting) from
23 to 24 February and the 36th Session of the Standing Committee (Foreign
Secretaries meeting) from 25 to 26 February. Foreign Minister
Bogollama was joined at the media briefing by the SAARC Secretary
General, Dr Sheel Kant Sharma, Foreign Secretary, Dr Palitha Kohona, Additional Secretary/Foreign
Affairs, Mr Prasad Kariyawasam and Director at the SAARC Secretariat, Mr
V. Kwatra
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
1 March 2009
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UN
Under Secretary General briefs Security Council
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Sir John Holmes, Under Secretary
General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the
United Nations who visited Sri Lanka at the invitation extended to UN
Secretary General by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to send one of his
colleagues to Sri Lanka, and pursuant to a telephone discussion with
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, gave an informal closed door
information briefing on his visit to Sri Lanka to the members of the UN
Security Council on 27th February in New York.
Sir John gave a favourable account of the humanitarian assistance being
provided by the Government of Sri Lanka to the civilians held captive
by the LTTE as human shields as well as to those who have managed to
escape and come into the Government controlled areas. He described the
situation of trapped people as dire but acknowledged IDPS in transit
camps are reasonably well. He stated that he was not aware of any major
outbreak of disease in the conflict area. He gave some descriptions of
his conversations with IDPs and commented on the fairly satisfactory
physical conditions and the efforts made to have acceptable screening
procedures.
The remarks of Ambassadors of Security Council member states to the
media following the briefing by Sir John reflected their appreciation
of the sincere and commendable efforts of the Sri Lankan Government to
render assistance to its citizens who are caught up in the conflict,
amidst extremely difficult ground conditions.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
28th February 2009
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MEDIA RELEASE
SAARC FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET IN COLOMBO
The SAARC Council of Ministers
represented by the Foreign Ministers of SAARC Member States will meet in Colombo on 27-28
February for its Inter-Summit Session. The Council of Ministers meeting
will be preceded by Meetings of the SAARC Programming Committee
represented by Senior Officials and the SAARC Standing Committee
represented by the Foreign Secretaries of respective SAARC Member States
on 23-24 February and 25-26 February respectively.
The Foreign Ministers,
Foreign Secretaries and Senior Officials will deliberate on a series of
issues relating to the implementation of the 15th SAARC Summit
Declaration as well as decisions taken in agreed areas such as economic
and financial cooperation; agriculture including the operationalisation
of the SAARC Food Bank; matters related to social development, health and
population; narcotic drugs, terrorism and legal matters including the
implementation of the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of
Terrorism and its Additional Protocol as well as the SAARC Convention on
Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. The Meetings will also consider
the Reports of Ministerial Meetings held since the 15th
Colombo Summit including the First Meeting of the SAARC Ministers of
Science and Technology, the Extraordinary Meeting of SAARC Agriculture Ministers,
Third SAARC Energy Ministers Meeting and the Conference of SAARC
Ministers of Parliamentary Affairs.
Apart from exploring ways
and means of expediting progress in agreed areas of cooperation, the
meetings will discuss current issues of concern for the region with a
view to taking regional action to address challenges.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa
will address the 31st Session of the Council of Ministers on
27 February at its inauguration in his capacity as current Chair of
SAARC.
The Programming Committee
will be chaired by Additional Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam; the
Standing Committee will be chaired by Foreign Secretary Dr .Palitha
Kohona and the 31st Session of the Council will be chaired by
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
Since assuming the
chairmanship of SAARC, Sri
Lanka has hosted two SAARC Ministerial
Meetings, namely on Energy and on Parliamentary Affairs. With a view to
implementing the Colombo Statement on Food Security by Heads of State and
Government at the 15th SAARC Summit, Sri Lanka hosted two
meetings of the SAARC Food Bank Board in October 2008 and February 2009.
This year will also see Sri
Lanka host SAARC Ministerial Meetings
on Higher Education which will be the first such meeting in SAARC;
Transport; Children; and Science and Technology. As current chair of the
SAARC Working Groups on Tourism and Bio-technology,
Sri Lanka
will host meetings of these Working Groups in April and June this
year. 2009 will also
see the operationalisation of the SAARC Cultural Centre which will be
located in Matara.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Colombo
22 February 2009
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