Addressing the sixth Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 13th September 2007 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mme. Louise Arbour said “in the coming months, I very much look forward to country visits to both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan”.

Welcoming her statement, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva stated that Sri Lanka has shown its readiness to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms despite the difficult circumstances created by one of the most feared and ruthless terrorist organisations, which has fielded more suicide bombers than any other terrorist outfit in the world. Therefore, he urged the Council to understand the conditions in which the Sri Lankan State as a democracy has opened itself for international scrutiny, while fighting a terrorist war.

Referring to a suggestion in the statement made by Portugal on behalf of the European Union, that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka could be strengthened, Ambassador Jayatilleka said that the authorities in Sri Lanka would be ready to listen to the High Commissioner’s views with an open mind. However he emphasised that “Sri Lanka is ready to accept rational persuasion but not pressure”. He also reminded the Council that the invitation for the High Commissioner to visit Sri Lanka came from the President of Sri Lanka himself as the prevalent Government policy of openness and constructive engagement with international human rights mechanisms.

Referring to the reference made in the European Union statement on the resumption of hostilities, Ambassador Jayatilleka reminded the European Union that it was the LTTE which unilaterally resumed hostilities as it had done in 1987, 1990 and 1995. The Tigers assassinated or attempted to assassinate every leader who negotiated with them, including Shri Rajiv Gandhi.

Ambassador Jayatilleka informed the Council that not only the High Commissioner for Human Rights, but also two UN Special Rapporteurs and a high-level delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union would be visiting Sri Lanka this year as part of the policy of constructive engagement of the Government.

The Permanent Representatives of India, South Africa, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, in their interventions to the Council welcomed the initiative and the invitation extended by the Government of Sri Lanka to the High Commissioner to visit Sri Lanka, while recognising that it was done so as a part of Sri Lankan Government’s responsive co-operation with the international human rights mechanisms.  The Permanent Representatives of Australia, Canada and Switzerland said that they too were looking forward to the High Commissioners visit to Sri Lanka.