Navi Pillay meets media

     During a brief interaction with the media last evening, High Commissioner Pillay said her visit to Sri Lanka was to assess whether the Government here is complying with the standard for human rights set for the whole world that she said has also been accepted by Sri Lanka.
“I frame myself within the human rights standards set for the whole world by all the governments of the world including the Government of Sri Lanka. So I’m not writing my statute. I’m looking at the framework that was also developed by Sri Lanka. So if I raise criticism it is whether they are complying with those standards,” Pillay told reporters.

She said that it was true that the Government had invited her some time ago but that she had preferred to wait until the release of the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). “When I go back, I will report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council.”

Ms Pillay, who arrived last morning, had briefings with the UN country team following her arrival and will hold a series of meetings with senior Government ministers and  Supreme Court judges including Chief Justice Chief Justice Mohan Peiris today.This will be followed by discussions with Attorney General Palitha Fernando and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem.

She will also meet with National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara before a luncheon at Cinnamon Lakeside with the diplomatic corps in Colombo including officials from the US, Indian and EU missions in Colombo. Pillay is also scheduled to meet with Presidential Special Envoy on Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe this afternoon.

The UN Envoy will leave for her tour of the north and east this evening.