High Commissioner of Human Rights in the United Nations, Ms Louise Arbour, is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Tuesday on a five-day official visit to Sri Lanka. During her stay, She will meet relatives of abducted civilians in Colombo on October 11 and in Jaffna on October 12. She will also meet with President Mahinda Rajapakse, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, leaders of the UNP, JHU, SLMC and the TNA, rights groups and civil society members, according to sources.

Ms. Arbour is coming to Sri Lanka to get a first hand assessment of the country’s human rights situation which has come under severe criticism by rights groups and the international community.

Though she will travel to Jaffna to see the ground situation in the peninsula for herself, she had not been given permission to visit the Wanni.

Which seemed to be most significant is her scheduled meeting with the JVP, the party strongly opposed UN officials visit to Sri Lanka.

On Thursday Ms. Arbour is also scheduled to meet Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and the Attorney General C.R. de Silva, before flying to Jaffna on Friday.

She will hold a press conference on October 13 in Colombo, UN sources in Colombo said.

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