Govt. taking steps to ensure human rights and freedom: Ranil

The government, which has joined hands with international community in the last one year, is taking initial steps towards “ensuring human rights and freedom” for all Sri Lankans, according to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Taking stock of developments in the last one year since Maithripala Sirisena became President in the 2015 presidential elections, Mr. Wickremesinghe, on his return from a private visit to the United Kingdom, told a gathering at his official residence on Monday that “we have commenced the process of giving land back to civilians of the North. While resettling them, we will ensure the rights of people living in other areas as well.”

Recalling how the country’s two principal parties, United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, came together in August to form a “ntional gvernment,” Mr. Wickremesinghe, who became the Prime Minister a year ago, said the parties had, by coming together, “successfully” overcome “the challenges posed by accusations of human rights violations.”

Pointing out that the government would have in place a mechanism that would guarantee economic and social development in three years, he said “this journey seeks prosperity for all Sri Lankans and assures every Sri Lankan of a better tomorrow,” adding that there would be prosperity as much for Trincomalee or Hambantota or Jaffna as for Colombo. (The Hindu)