The United Nations Office of the high Commissioner for Human Rights, outlined that at least three ministers of the Sri Lankan government were engaged in a misinformation campaign against the High Commissioner.
The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, Rupert Colville, issued a press statement today that recalled Pillay’s earlier remarks of “extraordinary array of distortion and abuse£ by minsters, deplored the on-going campaign.
The OHCHR sent a formal complaint to the Sri Lankan government, regarding distorted comments attributed to the Secretary of Defence, Gotobaya Rajapaksa, and requested an immediate retraction and public correction of the misinformation.
Since there had been no response from the government, the OHCHR said today that it would make public what was said no Pillay’s visit.
Coville denied accusations that Pillay had asked the the President, to remove a statue of a former politician. stating,
Dismissing allegations that Pillay had asked for the Buddhist flag to be removed in Monument Square, Sri Lanka’s political symbolic location, Coville said that Pillay had simply raised questions about why the only flag flying, other than the national flag, was that of a religious community , further suggesting that it may be inclusive to fly a flag that unites the nation regardless of religion.
Coville concluded his comments, stating,
The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, Rupert Colville, issued a press statement today that recalled Pillay’s earlier remarks of “extraordinary array of distortion and abuse£ by minsters, deplored the on-going campaign.
The OHCHR sent a formal complaint to the Sri Lankan government, regarding distorted comments attributed to the Secretary of Defence, Gotobaya Rajapaksa, and requested an immediate retraction and public correction of the misinformation.
Since there had been no response from the government, the OHCHR said today that it would make public what was said no Pillay’s visit.
Coville denied accusations that Pillay had asked the the President, to remove a statue of a former politician. stating,
“This claim is without a shred of truth.”
Dismissing allegations that Pillay had asked for the Buddhist flag to be removed in Monument Square, Sri Lanka’s political symbolic location, Coville said that Pillay had simply raised questions about why the only flag flying, other than the national flag, was that of a religious community , further suggesting that it may be inclusive to fly a flag that unites the nation regardless of religion.
Coville concluded his comments, stating,
“We consider it deeply regrettable that government officials and other commentators continue what appears to be a coordinated campaign of disinformation in an attempt to discredit the High Commissioner or to distract the core messages of her visit.”