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Don’t wait for Govt. directive: Mahinda S. tells HRC
The Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister directed the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) to continue its investigations into more than 2,000 cases of disappearances, halted in order to sidestep government compensation to the victims. Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told The Sunday Times that the Human Rights Commission was an independent body, which should act within its mandate instead of relying on the government for instructions. In a letter to HRCSL Chairman Justice P. Ramanathan, Mr. Samarasinghe voiced his concerns over the halting of the investigations and urged him to execute its responsibilities under the Human Rights Act. As the Ministry has no investigative powers, it is unable to inquire into the complaints of the 2,127 missing persons. Hence it leaves the responsibility in the hands of the HRCSL. “Any decision to refuse compensation to families of missing persons is a decision of the government alone and should not affect the investigations by the Human Rights Commission,” Minister Samarasinghe said. “The Human Rights Commission can decide on its own to inquire into any complaints of enforced disappearances and human rights violations without awaiting government approval. It is very important that the Human Rights Commission remains an independent body,” he added. The HRCSL’s work on disappearances was cut short amidst fresh charges of disappearances, which under the current escalation in violence may be an encouragement to those who engage in such acts. This move that surprised the international community was conveyed in a letter by HRCSL Secretary Benedict Silva to the Commission’s Disappearances Database Project Manager M.C.M. Iqbal. |
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