Sri Lanka govt committed to Ceasefire and negotiated settlement

Mar 13, Colombo: Addressing the fourth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council yesterday, Sri Lanka Minister of Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe reiterated his government's commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement and efforts to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The Minister recalled that the Sri Lankan government had stated in February that the Ceasefire Agreement remained valid and the government remained committed to finding a negotiated political settlement, as reflected in its willingness to resume peace talks with the LTTE and its efforts to find consensus among the country’s political parties on a resolution to the conflict.

Mr. Samarasinghe said that the All Party Representative Committee is currently in the advance stages of formulating Constitutional proposals for devolution, with a view to meeting the aspirations of all communities.

Assuring that the government is making all efforts to address alleged violations of human rights through effective action and to place emphasis on preventive measures, the Minister said the government has already extended invitations to two mandate holders - the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Special Representative of the Secretary General on the Human Rights of IDPs - to undertake visits to Sri Lanka in October and November of this year, respectively.