Sri Lanka turning authoritarian, says UN human rights chief Navi Pillay

The United Nations rights chief has chastised the Sri Lankan government, saying it is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction despite the end of a civil war four years ago.

In a hard-hitting statement ending a weeklong visit to assess the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said she was "deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided by the end of the war to construct a new vibrant all-embracing state, is showing signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction."

During her stay, Pillay met government officials, politicians, rights activists and people affected by the war. She is to report her findings to the UN Human Rights Council next month.

"The war may have ended, but in the meantime democracy has been undermined and the rule of law eroded," Pillay said, citing the government's move three years ago to abolish provisions for independent police, judiciary and human rights commissions, and give the president the power to appoint officials to the commissions.

"The controversial impeachment of the chief justice earlier this year and apparent politicization of senior judicial appointments have shaken confidence in the independence of the judiciary," she said.

Describing her visit to the former war zone in the north of Sri Lanka, Pillay said that she was concerned about the increasing military involvement in civilian affairs and urged the government to speed up demilitarization.

She said it was disturbing to hear reports of military or police visiting and questioning villagers with whom she spoke in the former war zone and alleged intimidation of rights activists she met with.

"This type of surveillance and harassment appears to be getting worse in Sri Lanka, which is a country where critical voices are quite often attacked or even permanently silenced. Utterly unacceptable at any time it is particularly extraordinary or such treatment to be meted out during a visit by the UN high commissioner for human rights," she said.

"I wish to stress that that the United Nations takes the issue of reprisals against people because they have talked to UNofficials as an extremely serious matter ..." Pillay said, adding she would report it to the human rights council.

The government has defended its rights record, and says the international community should focus more on the abuses carried out by the rebel Tamil Tigers during the nearly three-decade long civil war.

Meanwhile, a British grandmother sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug trafficking must pin her hopes on a plea for clemency direct to the country’s President after her final legal appeal against execution was rejected unanimously.

AP