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US supports expanded UNHR office in Lanka |
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Friday, 19 October 2007 |
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US Ambassador Robert Blake stressed the recent visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour was a “long awaited one.” During her visit Ms. Arbour said she would continue her efforts to persuade the government that the presence of her office (OHCHR) in Sri Lanka would be a great benefit to the people and that technical assistance or co-operation would not be sufficient at this particular stage in dealing with the human rights situation in the country, he said.
The Government made it clear in discussions with the High Commissioner that it was not willing to discuss in any way a UN presence in Sri Lanka for monitoring purposes and neither was it ready to discuss the opening of the OHCHR office in Colombo. Several leading human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been urging for a stronger UN presence in Sri Lanka to monitor and report on human rights abuses committed by the government, LTTE and the TMVP.
Daily Mirror
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