Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, this week placed restrictions on MPs, ministers and deputy ministers from making foreign visits, reports the SundayTimes.lk.
A document circulated around ministers detailed that powers over matters relating to foreign travel have now been vested with the Prime Minister and Provincial Governors. To travel abroad all parliamentarians, provincial council members, members of local authorities, state officers and officials of public corporations, authorities and state-owned companies would have to seek permission from a person with vested powers.
The document further outlined that when responding to invitations to meet with foreign governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), advice from the Ministry of External Affairs would need to be sought before submitting an application to travel abroad. In the event that a minister is granted permission to leave they will only be allowed to be accompanied by one person who will have to be a member of their staff.
Further were changes made to the NGO Secretariat, which has now been placed under the remit of the Ministry of Defence. Explaining the implications of these changes the Minister of External Affairs, GL Peiris said that any NGO looking to travel out or in the country would inform the Ministry of External Affairs which would then consult relevant authorities before granting permission.
The latest restrictions in travel in Sri Lanka comes as the UN rights chief, after appointing a panel of 3 experts to lead the UNHRC war crimes probe in Sri Lanka, vowed to push on with the investigation regardless of Sri Lanka's rejection of any such investigation.
A document circulated around ministers detailed that powers over matters relating to foreign travel have now been vested with the Prime Minister and Provincial Governors. To travel abroad all parliamentarians, provincial council members, members of local authorities, state officers and officials of public corporations, authorities and state-owned companies would have to seek permission from a person with vested powers.
The document further outlined that when responding to invitations to meet with foreign governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), advice from the Ministry of External Affairs would need to be sought before submitting an application to travel abroad. In the event that a minister is granted permission to leave they will only be allowed to be accompanied by one person who will have to be a member of their staff.
Further were changes made to the NGO Secretariat, which has now been placed under the remit of the Ministry of Defence. Explaining the implications of these changes the Minister of External Affairs, GL Peiris said that any NGO looking to travel out or in the country would inform the Ministry of External Affairs which would then consult relevant authorities before granting permission.
The latest restrictions in travel in Sri Lanka comes as the UN rights chief, after appointing a panel of 3 experts to lead the UNHRC war crimes probe in Sri Lanka, vowed to push on with the investigation regardless of Sri Lanka's rejection of any such investigation.