Govt always gives priority to safeguarding human rights - Minister Samarasinghe

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has always given priority and has worked in the past and is working tirelessly at present to ensure that human rights of all Sri Lankans without distinction, are safeguarded, advanced and promoted, Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said.

The Minister made these comments releasing a message to coincide with the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which falls today.

Minister Samarasinghe noted that safe guarding human rights was critical in achieving lasting peace and securing equitable and sustainable development in Sri Lanka.

"As the nation faces many challenges in the present era we must, in keeping with the noble aspirations enunciated in the UDHR, come together and form a common Sri Lankan identity which will enable us to meet these challenges in unison and ensure a better tomorrow for the future generation, the Minister said. "The main contemporary challenge is to ensure that Sri Lankans in all parts of the country are able to go about their lives in security and without fear and are treated equally without discrimination," the Minister said. According to the Minister all of the forgoing goals are directly referable to the enjoyment of human rights enshrined in the UDHR.

The Minister in his message also noted that just like the people of the East who have embarked on a journey to a better and prosperous future during the past 18 months the people of the North too would follow suit in the near future without the scourge of terrorism and violence.