Wimal’s Nff to Protest Against Zeid’s Visit

The National Freedom Front has decided to launch a protest campaign against the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s four-day visit to the island.

Media Spokesperson of the Party, Mohamed Muzammil said, the protest campaign will be held tomorrow at the Lipton Circus. He said the visit will adversely affect Sri Lanka, adding they are strongly against the UN officials visit to the island.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein will begin a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka tomorrow. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said accepting an invitation extended by the Government in February 2015, the High Commissioner will arrive in Sri Lanka tomorrow and will depart on Wednesday.

During his visit, the High Commissioner will discuss a range of current challenges and opportunities for strengthening the rule of law and protection of human rights in Sri Lanka, including reviewing the implementation of the recommendations made in his report to the Human Rights Council, and in its subsequent Resolution 30/1 on “promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.”

The resolution, which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka, was unanimously adopted by the Human Rights Council on 1 October 2015. The High Commissioner will call on President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other Ministers, as well as other high-level Government officials.

He will also hold discussions with a wide range of other activists, including the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, representatives of civil society, and religious leaders.

The Forieng Ministry said, on 7th and 8th, the High Commissioner will visit Jaffna and Trincomalee where he will meet with the Governors and Chief Ministers of the Northern and Eastern Provinces respectively. He is also due to visit Kandy before concluding his 4 day assignment next week.