SAARC legal framework to counter terror

Rafik Jalaldeen

A common legal framework to be set up among the South Asia Association Regional Cooperation SAARC countries to counter terrorism will allow the region to combat terrorism on a common platform, Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

Addressing the media, Bogollagama said Sri Lanka's Human Rights situation has improved since the East was liberated from the LTTE clutches.

"I have appointed a committee on February 2007 from the Foreign Ministry led by the Foreign Secretary to give a correct picture to the international community," he added.

He said the HR situation was demonstrated to the international community on various occasions.

"Our position is not only to confine our statement to words but to show the world the real situation," he stressed.

Bogollagama noted that need for counter terrorism is top of the agenda.

"The Government had addressed the international community on the need for the counter terrorism and with that purpose in mind an International Conference Countering Terrorism was held recently in Colombo," he said.

The Foreign Minister reiterated that the Government is fully committed to a political solution.

"The Government is always committed to a political solution not a military solution. When it has to counter terrorism then it has to. A regional framework is essential to counter terrorism and the improve HR in Sri Lanka. Normality is returning to the East," he said.

"Law and order should be enforced in the conflict regions.

A delegation from the Foreign Ministry had visited the East after it was liberated from the LTTE and found the region was fast returning to normality after facing severe difficulties and HR abuses under the LTTE grip," the Minister pointed out.

The Government had recruited around 2,000 police personnel to maintain law and order in the East from all three communities (Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim). Around 200 Tamils from the East were enlisted to the police.

He emphasized the importance of an Institutional Framework Development on Human Rights in Sri Lanka. "It is our concern to strengthen an Institutional framework development on the HR issues involving the International community. By strengthening it, we can develop the situation particulary in the East," he pointed out.

Minister Bogollagama said the SAARC countries should set up a common legal framework which could counter terrorism effectively. This law will be implemented soon in the region.

Sri Lanka was successfully elected to the UNESCO Executive board competing second consecutive time.

"Within three weeks of campaign, Sri Lanka successfully secured 130 votes out of 170 to the UNESCO executive board and became a committee member six countries representing Asia," Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.