Delivering Sri Lanka’s statement at the 24th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Ravintha Aryasinha implored Navi Pillay to take an ‘unbiased’ approach to Sri Lanka in fulfilling her mandate and not to give credence to ‘unsubstantiated’ allegations.
Responding to concerns over intimidation of human rights defenders, Aryasinha stressed that Sri Lanka was ’fully committed’ to protecting human rights defenders and requested the Human Rights High Commissioner and her office to provide specific evidence.
Noting the freedom to travel that had been given to Pillay, Arayasinha went on to outline invitations to Special Rapporteur’s on IDPs and Education to visit Sri Lanka in December 2013 and January 2014.
Aryasinha ended by reiterating that the government did not want to add credence to ‘extremist' allegations that were made by groups with vested interests.