Human Rights Commission officials visit Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 June 2005, 16:30 GMT]
Five commissioners of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) led by its Chairperson Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy Monday visited Jaffna and held discussions with the Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Sunil Tennekon, representatives of the Jaffna District Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations (JDCNO), Civil Groups and Jaffna Bishop Rt.Rev Dr Thomas Soundaranayagam regarding several problems confronting the people of the district from high security zone to accidents involving army vehicles.

The HRCSL delegation first met Major General Sunil Tennekon in the latter's headquarters. The delegation discussed with the SLA command in Jaffna about resettling displaced families in no-man zones located close to the high security zones (HSZ) and in general the HSZ which is blocking the return of normalcy in the lives of displaced people, sources said.

The HRCSL delegation also took up the issue of violence following accidents involving army vehicles, sources said.

Later the HRCSL delegation met with the representatives of the JDCNO at the office of the Jaffna regional office of the HRCSL. JDCNO officials briefed the delegation about the ground situation prevailing in the district and problems caused by the security forces preventing normalcy in the lives of displaced people and civilians, sources said.

HRCSL delegation on Monday evening met with Rt.Rev. Dr.Thomas Soundaranayagam, Jaffna Bishop at Bishop House. Jaffna Bishop told the HRCSL delegation about the difficulties currently undergoing by the civilians and the displaced and urgent needs of them, sources said.