The Asian Human Rights Commission is launching a petition to the Sri Lankan government to support a field presence by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has seen an enormous deterioration of the human rights situation and the institutions of justice. The spiral of violence in the ongoing conflict is worsening the situation. An explanation on the need and role of such a monitoring presence of the OHCHR is elaborated in the AHRC statement AS-285-2007.
We are asking you to support this petition. Therefore, we would be grateful if you could share this email with your friends and, of course,
sign the petition at http://campaigns.ahrchk.net/monitoringsl/
The petition reads as:
To his Excellency
The President of Sri Lanka
Your Excellency,
I support the call made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Louise Arbour, to extend support for Sri Lanka through monitoring of all violations of human rights done by any group whatsoever. I also believe that the sovereignty of Sri Lanka will be enhanced by revitalizing competent and effective criminal investigation sections of the Sri Lankan police through this support by the United Nations.
I urge the Sri Lankan government to utilise this opportunity to address many of the problems that have caused enormous insecurity to the people and that act as an obstacle to development in the country. I fervently hope that petty interests of power and corruption will not prevail against the better interests of the nation and the Sri Lankan people by resisting this move by the United Nations. I see no reasons for the independence of the judiciary of Sri Lanka to be affected adversely by such investigations. In fact, I see the sovereignty of the people and the state being enhanced by such investigations in the present circumstances of Sri Lanka.
