No room for infringement of sovereignty - Defence Spokesman

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Government will not allow any infringement of the sovereignty of the country by allowing any foreign organisation to force the Government to permit foreign observers to operate, Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday.

Responding to a question regarding the monitoring of the human rights situation by foreign personnel, Minister Rambukwella told the media yesterday that the Government has invited internationally eminent persons as observers on the investigations in to human rights violations.

Minister Rambukwella said the Government has already invited the UN special representatives on torture and on the internally displaced to Sri Lanka.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe announced this in his address to the Human Rights Council.

The Minister said three countries, Sweden,Switzerland and France made reference to the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and expressed their concern without being critical at the United Nations Human Rights Conference held on March 12 and 13.

Thirty nine countries participated at the forum.

However, the United Kingdom appreciated the transparency of the Sri Lankan Government in handling this problem and its decision to appoint a Committee of Inquiry with internationally recognized eminent persons to monitor the situation, Minister Rambukwella added.