Sri Lanka human rights officials to visit Jaffna HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 17:08 GMT]
The delegation of the Human Rights Commission (HRZ) of Sri Lanka, which is conducting investigation into the disappearance of persons during the period of 1996-1997 in the Jaffna district, is to visit the high security zones in the peninsula Saturday. The HRC delegation comprises Jaffna former government agent Mr.Devanesan Nesiah, Mr. Camillus Fernando, Ms Jesima Ismail and Mr.Iqbal, sources said.

The HRC delegation is scheduled to meet the Jaffna Sri Lanka Army Commander Major General Sarath Fonseka Saturday at Palaly main military base around noon to discuss the high security zone issue, sources said.

The visit of the HRC team to high security zones in the peninsula at a time when the HSZ issue has taken as akey issue in the forthcoming peace talks between the government and the LTTE is considered as an important development, civil sources said.

Several humanitarian groups and other organizations have reported to the HRC in Sri Lanka that refusing the resettlement of the displaced people on their own lands is a serious human rights violation, sources said.

Meanwhile the HRC team is scheduled to meet the Resident Representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Jaffna senior superintendent of Police at the HRC office Saturday regarding tracing the disappeared persons during 1996and 1997, sources said.

The HRC team is to record the evidence of some parents and relatives of disappeared persons on March 2 and March 3, sources said