Top US Ambassador, Stephen Rapp, will be visiting Colombo over the coming weeks to hold high-level discussions with the government, opposition and civil society groups over the current situation in Sri Lanka, Ceylon Today learns.
Rapp, is the US President’s Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes who has served as Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone beginning in January 2007, leading the prosecutions of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other persons alleged to bear the greatest responsibility for the atrocities committed during the civil war in Sierra Leone.
His visit is expected to be a precursor to international community’s push to have the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report discussed at the March sitting of the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
Speaking to Ceylon Today, Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said Sri Lanka has so far been able to defer any move against the country’s human rights record at the UNHRC, and added he was “not worried” about the report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) being discussed at the body in Geneva.
Minister Samarasinghe said he was aware of the visit by Rapp through media reports, but said that no official communication has taken place so far.
Rapp is expected to hold high-level meetings with the government, opposition and civil society organizations on the human rights situation in the island and the post-war issues of accountability.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Ministry of External Affairs remained mum about the protocol or visa issues in place for Rapp, and official spokespersons for the Ministry said they were not aware of the visit.
ceylontoday
