Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga, concluding a four-day official visit to Sri Lanka, said that Switzerland will ensure that the nation’s newly formed Office of Missing Persons (OMP), as well as the Human Rights Commission, can conduct their work.
During her visit, Sommaruga met President Maithripala Sirisena, as well as Government ministers, representatives of the national human rights commission, and several civil society organisations.
TNA leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan said that while the human rights situation in Sri Lanka has clearly improved since 2015, there are still problems and the population was “impatient” for progress. Sommaruga responded that this was “understandable”, but that “a new constitution, reconciliation, and democratisation takes time.” She added that with upcoming elections there comes a “risk that polarisation in Sri Lanka will increase again.”
On Monday, Sommaruga signed a memorandum of understanding in the capital Colombo with the Sri Lankan interior minister, Seneviratne Bandara Nawinne, solidifying their intention to facilitate and extend cooperation, according to the justice ministry. This agreement “also helps us address specific issues directly, so that we can remind the authorities and politicians of their responsibilities,” said the justice minister.
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