Sri Lankan government amplifies its dirty tactics during UN session

The Sri Lankan governments ongoing dirty tactics to silence and smear dissidents are a brazen attempt to deflect criticism as the country faces fresh scrutiny at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Amnesty International said today.

The Council is due to vote next week on a resolution calling for an international investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka during the protracted and bloody internal armed conflict with the LTTE (Tamil Tigers). Since the end of the conflict in May 2009, the government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa has pursued a crackdown on its critics.

Sri Lanka must put an end to the campaign of intimidation and dirty tactics against outspoken human rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and families of the disappeared, said Peter Splinter, Amnesty International Representative to the United Nations in Geneva.

The hasty release of two prominent human rights activists yesterday after their detention on 16 March is a welcome development, the organization said. But behind their case are a number of other peaceful activists who have been detained in recent months in a bid to stamp out dissent.

While its positive that the human rights defenders Ruki Fernando and Father Praveen Mahesan have been released, the world must not be fooled. The fact remains they should never have been arrested in the first place. The Sri Lankan authorities must stop repressing critical voices and ensure the safety of all those who peacefully express inconvenient truths about the countrys post-war human rights situation, said Peter Splinter.

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Sri Lankan government amplifies its dirty tactics during UN session