Tuesday, 24 January 2012, 17:01

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assigned several key Cabinet Ministers to visit UN Human Rights Council member states and garner their support ahead of the UNHRC session scheduled for March.

Under this new plan, a delegation led by Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne will visit Chile and Uruguay, two South American countries. At the same time, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella will also lead a delegation to another group of UNHRC member states.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris, who is presently in New Delhi, will be visiting Africa on 29 January. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told Ceylon Today that Pieris will visit two African countries during the visit. Foreign Employment Minister Dilan Perera, according to government sources, will also be assigned to lead a delegation.

Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse himself will visit Singapore and Myanmar before the UNHRC session in March. Although he was scheduled to visit Pakistan early next month, a senior government spokesman said, the visit is not confirmed yet.

During these visits, the high profile Sri Lankan delegations will brief the UNHRC member nations on the implementation process of the LLRC report and the ongoing reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, a senior government spokesman told Ceylon Today.

The Sri Lankan delegations are also tasked to counter the “Channel 4 allegations”, during their bi-lateral discussions with foreign counterparts.

“We have prepared ourselves for whatever happens, and we are willing to share whatever information we have with the UNHRC,” Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ceylon Today on Monday.

This move comes in the wake of media reports that United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Stephen Rapp is likely to visit Sri Lanka.

Though the government has said there is no official communication regarding the visit so far, Ceylon Today reliably learns Rapp is expected to visit Sri Lanka next month, prior to the UNHRC session in March.

Rapp’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected to be a precursor to the international community’s push to have the LLRC report discussed at the March sitting of the UNHRC in Geneva.

Rapp is the key official in the Obama Administration on war crimes around the world, and successfully led the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges and for crimes against humanity.

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/news-detail.php?news_id=1912&news_category_id=27

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assigned several key Cabinet Ministers to visit UN Human Rights Council member states and garner their support ahead of the UNHRC session scheduled for March.

Under this new plan, a delegation led by Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne will visit Chile and Uruguay, two South American countries. At the same time, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella will also lead a delegation to another group of UNHRC member states.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris, who is presently in New Delhi, will be visiting Africa on 29 January. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told Ceylon Today that Pieris will visit two African countries during the visit. Foreign Employment Minister Dilan Perera, according to government sources, will also be assigned to lead a delegation.

Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse himself will visit Singapore and Myanmar before the UNHRC session in March. Although he was scheduled to visit Pakistan early next month, a senior government spokesman said, the visit is not confirmed yet.

During these visits, the high profile Sri Lankan delegations will brief the UNHRC member nations on the implementation process of the LLRC report and the ongoing reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, a senior government spokesman told Ceylon Today.

The Sri Lankan delegations are also tasked to counter the “Channel 4 allegations”, during their bi-lateral discussions with foreign counterparts.

“We have prepared ourselves for whatever happens, and we are willing to share whatever information we have with the UNHRC,” Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ceylon Today on Monday.

This move comes in the wake of media reports that United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Stephen Rapp is likely to visit Sri Lanka.

Though the government has said there is no official communication regarding the visit so far, Ceylon Today reliably learns Rapp is expected to visit Sri Lanka next month, prior to the UNHRC session in March.

Rapp’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected to be a precursor to the international community’s push to have the LLRC report discussed at the March sitting of the UNHRC in Geneva.

Rapp is the key official in the Obama Administration on war crimes around the world, and successfully led the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges and for crimes against humanity.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assigned several key Cabinet Ministers to visit UN Human Rights Council member states and garner their support ahead of the UNHRC session scheduled for March.

Under this new plan, a delegation led by Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne will visit Chile and Uruguay, two South American countries. At the same time, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella will also lead a delegation to another group of UNHRC member states.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris, who is presently in New Delhi, will be visiting Africa on 29 January. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told Ceylon Today that Pieris will visit two African countries during the visit. Foreign Employment Minister Dilan Perera, according to government sources, will also be assigned to lead a delegation.

Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse himself will visit Singapore and Myanmar before the UNHRC session in March. Although he was scheduled to visit Pakistan early next month, a senior government spokesman said, the visit is not confirmed yet.

During these visits, the high profile Sri Lankan delegations will brief the UNHRC member nations on the implementation process of the LLRC report and the ongoing reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, a senior government spokesman told Ceylon Today.

The Sri Lankan delegations are also tasked to counter the “Channel 4 allegations”, during their bi-lateral discussions with foreign counterparts.

“We have prepared ourselves for whatever happens, and we are willing to share whatever information we have with the UNHRC,” Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ceylon Today on Monday.

This move comes in the wake of media reports that United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Stephen Rapp is likely to visit Sri Lanka.

Though the government has said there is no official communication regarding the visit so far, Ceylon Today reliably learns Rapp is expected to visit Sri Lanka next month, prior to the UNHRC session in March.

Rapp’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected to be a precursor to the international community’s push to have the LLRC report discussed at the March sitting of the UNHRC in Geneva.

Rapp is the key official in the Obama Administration on war crimes around the world, and successfully led the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges and for crimes against humanity.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assigned several key Cabinet Ministers to visit UN Human Rights Council member states and garner their support ahead of the UNHRC session scheduled for March.

Under this new plan, a delegation led by Public Administration Minister John Seneviratne will visit Chile and Uruguay, two South American countries. At the same time, Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella will also lead a delegation to another group of UNHRC member states.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris, who is presently in New Delhi, will be visiting Africa on 29 January. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told Ceylon Today that Pieris will visit two African countries during the visit. Foreign Employment Minister Dilan Perera, according to government sources, will also be assigned to lead a delegation.

Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse himself will visit Singapore and Myanmar before the UNHRC session in March. Although he was scheduled to visit Pakistan early next month, a senior government spokesman said, the visit is not confirmed yet.

During these visits, the high profile Sri Lankan delegations will brief the UNHRC member nations on the implementation process of the LLRC report and the ongoing reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, a senior government spokesman told Ceylon Today.

The Sri Lankan delegations are also tasked to counter the “Channel 4 allegations”, during their bi-lateral discussions with foreign counterparts.

“We have prepared ourselves for whatever happens, and we are willing to share whatever information we have with the UNHRC,” Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ceylon Today on Monday.

This move comes in the wake of media reports that United States Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Stephen Rapp is likely to visit Sri Lanka.

Though the government has said there is no official communication regarding the visit so far, Ceylon Today reliably learns Rapp is expected to visit Sri Lanka next month, prior to the UNHRC session in March.

Rapp’s visit to Sri Lanka is expected to be a precursor to the international community’s push to have the LLRC report discussed at the March sitting of the UNHRC in Geneva.

Rapp is the key official in the Obama Administration on war crimes around the world, and successfully led the prosecution against former Liberian President Charles Taylor on war crimes charges and for crimes against humanity.

Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris, who is presently in New Delhi, will be visiting Africa on 29 January. A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told Ceylon Today that Pieris will visit two African countries during the visit. Foreign Employment Minister Dilan Perera, according to government sources, will also be assigned to lead a delegation.

Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapakse himself will visit Singapore and Myanmar before the UNHRC session in March. Although he was scheduled to visit Pakistan early next month, a senior government spokesman said, the visit is not confirmed yet.

During these visits, the high profile Sri Lankan delegations will brief the UNHRC member nations on the implementation process of the LLRC report and the ongoing reconciliation process in Sri Lanka, a senior government spokesman told Ceylon Today.

The Sri Lankan delegations are also tasked to counter the “Channel 4 allegations”, during their bi-lateral discussions with foreign counterparts.

“We have prepared ourselves for whatever happens, and we are willing to share whatever information we have with the UNHRC,” Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told Ceylon Today on Monday.

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil; but by those who watch them without doing anything. – Albert Einstein