Govt reiterates commitment to Human Rights

Rohan Mathes

COLOMBO: Media and Information Minister and Cabinet Spokesman Anura Priyadarshana Yapa reiterated that as a responsible and democratic Government, they will always guarantee the protection of Human Rights as their top priority.

Yapa gave this assurance yesterday at the Government Information Department when he addressed the weekly Cabinet press briefing.

"Our Government is fully concerned on the Human Rights situation. Human Rights is one of the topmost rights of a democracy. We our fully committed to protect and guarantee it," the minister said.

"There is no problem whatsoever, except for the fact that some media organisations and institutions are striving to tarnish the good name of the Government by emanating false propaganda. Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has categorically expressed the government's stand on the issue at the Human Rights Conference underway in Geneva now," he said.

On a journalist's query relating to the delay in the APRC proposals, he said that once the committee appointed by the SLFP Central Committee, submits its report to them, subject to their approval, the proposals would be forwarded to the APRC sans any undue delay. "We are only waiting for all the information and proposals, taking into account all the pertinent issues required for the preparation of a set of proposals which could be accepted by all parties," he said.

Referring to the 'Maubima' newspaper issue where it is alleged that journalists and directors have been arrested unlawfully, Minister Yapa appealed to journalists to refrain from reporting wrongfully, extending and generalising these arrests to the entire Media.

Yapa said the Government was not biased towards any particular media organisation. Media personnel will be arrested only if they are suspected of involvement in illegal and criminal activities, and it could not be based narrowly or confined only to 'Maubima'.

"We will keep you informed on the outcome of the investigations soon," he said. Yapa also cleared the ambiguity surrounding the payment of pensions to retired public officers re-engaging in employment, confirming that the pensioners would be entitled to their pensions too, in addition to the salaries. However, he said that the pensions would be taken into account and consideration in the calculation of their new salaries.