Arbour skips Bogol’s dinner

Visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner Louise Arbour opted out of a dinner invitation from Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Thursday night, citing fatigue.

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama

According to those in the know, however, she had even wanted to cancel the official meeting with Minister Bogallagama that evening at 6 at the ministry, but officials had managed to cajole her into keeping at least the meeting appointment with the Minister and his top officials.

Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, when contacted in this regard, vehemently denied any problem and said that in fact the discussions between the well travelled top UN official and the even more widely travelled Minister went on till about 7:45 p.m.

Asked about her declining the dinner invitation at the eleventh hour, he said that was because she had not been able to sleep the previous night due to jet lag and the fact that she had to take a flight to Jaffna the following morning at 5:30 a.m.

Some NGO sources earlier said there appeared to be an attempt to squeeze Ms. Arbour time-wise by government ministers and officials purposely being late for meetings with her. This had resulted in her having to curtail some of her other schedules, they charged.