No need for int'l mechanism | Page 7 | Daily News

No need for int'l mechanism

UN  High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad al Hussain calling on Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Sidhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the  Malwatte Chapter

 

The government led by the President and the Prime Minister is taking steps to build national unity and reconciliation by winning the confidence of the people and as such, the country does not need an international mechanism for it, the Most Ven. Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters said.

"Therefore, we should be left to resolve our problems on our own," they said when the visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad al Hussain called on them at their temples and held discussions yesterday. Earlier, the High Commissioner visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa and paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The Prelates said it would be most suitable for the United Nations to support our effort to resolve our problems through a local mechanism instead of trying to influence or exert pressure.

The two prelates said already national unity and religious amity was building up in the country under this process and the people were living in peace and unity.

The Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter said the government was committed to promote friendship and brotherhood among all communities and the President had been kind enough to even pardon a members of the LTTE terrorist outfit who had tried to assassinate him.

He said the President and the Prime Minister were making a genuine effort to resolve the problems of the people in the North and East by meeting them at their doorstep.

The Prelate said he had full confidence in the abilities of the President and the Prime Minister to resolve the problems confronting the people.

The Most Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayake Thera said solutions to problems which emerged due to a war which lasted for 25 years or more could not be found within a mere two year period.

He said a group of LTTE suspects held in prison were released recently and the government had taken steps to release the balance suspects soon by expediting the legal process.

The Most Ven. Galagama Sri Aththadassi Mahanayake Thera of the Asgiriya Chapter and members of the Karaka Maha Sangha Sabha of the Asgiriya Chapter received the UN High Commissioner at the Asgiriya Temple and invoked blessings on him by chanting seth pirith. The discussion held between the Asgiriya Prelate and the UN High Commissioner was open to the media too.

The Asgiriya Prelate recalled that two leading Sri Lankan intellectuals, Prof. Jayatilleke and Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera had contributed towards the framing of UN Human Rights laws in 1947.

He said the UN Human Rights Commission had Buddhist principles as its foundation. "Today, people in this country are living in unity and peace and we had the ability to solve our problems on our own."

Zeid said religious leaders had a major role to play towards national and religious unity at a time when extremism was spreading fast throughout the world.

He appreciated the services rendered in this direction by the two prelates.

Zeid said the UNHCR had paid special attention towards building communal harmony and peace in Sri Lanka and they would always welcome the Counsel of the Mahanayake Theras in the fulfillment of this task.

"Since Sri Lanka was an active member of the UN and as such , the UN would always come forward to assist Sri Lanka in finding solutions to its problems."

He said he hoped to meet all sections of the people affected by the war during his visit.

Zeid said peace, unity and happiness were essential to unite all communities and build amity to prevent a repetition of past unsavoury incidents. 


There are 2 Comments

Add new comment