UNHRC special session on SL: AI
Amnesty International [AI] calls for the UN Human Rights Council to meet in a special session soon after the completion of the High Commissioner Louise Arbour's proposed visit to Sri Lanka in October.
In a speech given to the Sixth Session of Human Rights Council on Monday, Amnesty International said it is very concerned about what they called "the serious and deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka". It welcomes the proposed visit of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Arbour in October this year and insisted that it is important to have a special session of the council soon after this visit. Special session Delivering the speech AI representative Peter Splinter said “that (special session) will allow it to receive and discuss an urgently needed comprehensive assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and explore measures that can assist the Government in improving that situation”. Mentioning the enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Sri Lanka AI said “the severity of the violations and abuses requires that the Government address in the Council itself the need for investigations, prosecutions and other practical measures to end those violations and abuses”. AI said that both the persistent denial of Sri Lankan government about the severity of the situation, and the casting of aspersions on those expressing concern about the situation is unhelpful. AI also urges the Human Rights Council to start to address the situations of grave violations of fundamental rights without a further delay.