Government is trying to keep away Louise Arbour from meeting the victim families, says CMC Convener, Mano Ganesan MP. TNA and WPF Front MPs are expected to meet Arbour on Wednesday to discuss the current human rights situation.

CMC Convenor, Mano Ganeshan told the Daily Mirror that the government has pressurised the UN to prevent Arbour from meeting large number of relatives of the missing people who are waiting to meet her and talk to her on their grievances.

The Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC) on Disappearances is to hold a Sathyagraha against the alleged pressure applied by the government on the UN requesting it not allow its High Commissioner on Human Rights, Louise Arbour to meet relatives of missing persons.

CMC Convenor, Mano Ganeshan told the Daily Mirror that the government has pressurised the UN to prevent Arbour from meeting large number of relatives of the missing people who are waiting to meet her and talk to her on their grievances.

Government is trying to keep away Louise Arbour from meeting the victim families, says CMC Convener, Mano Ganesan MP.

He charged that government is putting numerous conditions and pressure on the UN in view of the visit of Arbour. The CMC has learnt that the government is rescheduling her agenda. “The government is up to the tactic of keeping the commissioner unaware of the reality. He also charged that two foreign media personnel who went to Jaffna with MoD permission were packed back to Colombo.

“This visit will not serve the purpose if this visit is going to be a pre-determined guided tour of the government. Civil Monitoring Commission is a people’s based human rights campaign movement. Therefore, we will not restrict ourselves to formal meetings and discussions. We have indicated our position very clearly while expressing our wish to cooperate with the UN during our discussions with the UN officers here,” he added.

He said the CMC will hold a Sathyagaha if the people are not allowed to meet the UN official. The CMC has been having continuous discussions with the UN office in Colombo and the meeting with the relatives of the missing people would take place in Colombo on Thursday and in Jaffna on Friday. “We will see that there will be a way out of the situation,” Geneshan said.

In addition TNA and WPF Front MPs are expected to meet Arbour on Wednesday to discuss the current human rights situation.

Meanwhile, several cases of disappearances have taken place over the weekend. A youth was reported missing in Dehiwala on Saturday, while there was a case of disappearance in Trincomalee yesterday.

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