Officials from the Centre for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights working in Trincomalee said they had been harassed by military personnel, two days after UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay complained of reprisals against persons and organisations in the North and East who held discussions with her during her week long mission to Sri Lanka.
The Centre is run by Jesuit priests working with families of the disappeared in the East, the AFP news agency said. Representatives from the Centre had meetings with High Commissioner Pillay last week, AFP said.
Five or six policemen had visited Fr. Veerasan Yogeswaran who runs the Centre at midnight and early morning a few hours after he met with the UN Envoy, AFP said.
The priest said his concern was that security forces personnel were going to homes at midnight and questioning people, AFP reported.
Centre for Policy Alternatives Chief Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu told AFP he had travelled to the north where several persons had reported being visited by security forces personnel after their discussions with Pillay.
At her press briefing Pillay called the visitations by security forces personnel upon those who spoke with her, including two priests and journalists and civilians the most ‘disturbing aspects” of her visit. “The UN takes reprisals against those who speak with UN officials very seriously,” Pillay warned, saying she would be reporting the incidents to the UN Human Rights Council.
Pillay told journalists at her briefing that the Sri Lankan Government had denied the allegations of reprisals against those who spoke with her. “If I am met with flat denial, I have to believe what the community tells me,” the UN Envoy told journalists, asked how she authenticates such complaints.
Namal Perera / September 3, 2013
The shameless Jokers are worst than uneducated buffalos who do not have a pea nut of a brain to think twice what they do.
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Jim softy / September 3, 2013
Jesuit Priests even wanted [Edited out]
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Wickramasiri / September 4, 2013
Jim Softly, Do you condone the action of security personnel visiting and threatening those who spoke with Pillay or other UN officials? Do you not think such action is a violation of a citizen’s freedom? Can you find out from your friend Gotabhaya as to what action has been taken against such officers and report to us please? Since you are influential could you please help these poor people and put a stop to this type of action? Can you?
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Percy Jilmart / September 3, 2013
The idiocy and paranoia of the offense suckerterror Goat Abaya knows no bounds, because such harassment takes place only through his orders. He is probably so paranoid that he looks under his bed for international conspirators before he goes to sleep. No doubt miss Pillay will include all of this in her final report to the UN human rights council. Ha haa…such blatant violations of human rights by the GOSL is nothing more than “illang parippoo” in Sinhala parlance. Sadly its the country that will suffer.
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kalu kumaraya / September 3, 2013
This is a lady with highest level of education and integrity.These idiots who make insulting remarks and the behind the screen actor mahinda Jarapakse who manipulate them will soon realise the blunders they have made.Unfortunately what can we expect from a school drop out as the head of the country and his thuggish clan surrounding and misleading him for their own personal gain and survival..
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Jim softy / September 3, 2013
This is a threatening move from Jesuit Priests in order to carry out their conversion. They are just trying to subjugate and to scare the officials. Govt should not give in to this.
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Wickramasiri / September 4, 2013
Jim Softly, If you are serious, will you do a trip to Trinco and meet with this Jesuit priest and learn for yourself what transpired? Otherwise your blinkered comments would not serve the cause of this country, and would only drag it down to chaos. You have to stand with the truth come what may. What is the point in living a lie? No use to anybody.
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Voice of Justice / September 3, 2013
MARAs regime is fereless to do anything as Democratically elected Dictators. I don’t think that there can be any guarentee of life of the people who met Navy.Be careful.
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K.A Sumanasekera / September 3, 2013
Is Jesuit Priest Fr Yogeswaran doing Electioneering with the NGO boss Paikiosothy?.
Most Reverend Bishop of Trincomalee Bishop Joseph Ponniah thanked the Army for helping to construct their Church.
He thankfthully mentioned the assistance they recieved from the Ministry of religions even when their Church was severly damaged by the Tsunami.
The Reverend thanked the President for working towards unity and equality of the inhabitants regardless of their ethnic and reigious backgrounds.
This is the Bishop of Trincomalee and the leader of the entire Christian community there.
His word is a lot better than this Jesuit Priest who is in the company of a LTTE proxy, who seems to be working overtime to get the maximum mileage from their ally Ms.Pillai’s recent report.
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Wickramasiri / September 4, 2013
KAS, The Bishop and the Jesuit priest spoke on two different things isn’t it? When the President and the government is praised it is okay. When they are criticized it is not okay? Could you be impartial? At least to some degree?
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Peace Lover / September 4, 2013
how can you exect K A Sumanasekera to be impartial? he is just doing his job what he is paid to do by his handlers!
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mrharryhatton / September 3, 2013
The government of Mahinda Rajapakse has accused Navai Pillai of exceeding her mandate and getting in to the political arena . This because Ms pillai quite rightly called this regime authoratarian.Isint it totally hypocritical for this govrnment to tell her she is exceeding her mandate when they are doing it all the time ! Is Gotabaya Rajapakse a paid public servant or a politician to whom no rules or laws apply ? Whose money is he spending on all these beautification projects ? Who pays for the car he goes about in ? It is all our money.What about the Chief justice of this regime ? Is he a judge or a very political public officer with nothing to do with justice ? What about Lalth Weeratunga, a public servant or a very obliging domestic servant of the Rajapakse family? What about all the Rjapakse family members who are holding public office , public servants of parasites attacking the economy ? Then what about all the government ministers and MPs living it up with public money , working within the mandate or rogues out of control ? How dare such a government attempt to call Ms Navai Pillai to order !
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Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda / September 3, 2013
I see no reason why Navaneethan Pillai cannot organize her own schedule. She has not done anything wrong when she decided to visit Fr. Yogeswaran. The comments and remarks made by the government about her visit to Fr. Yogeswaran are just to create fear in and mislead people. The priest has also the freedom to invite the commissioner to his place and discuss the issues which affect the people in the area. Sending of police officers and security officers to question the priest should not have happened. Now it has happened. That confirms the fact that the country is moving towards authoritarianism. What the the government should actually do is to concentrate on the serious issues that the UN high commissioner has raised about democracy, authoritarianism and good governance rather than making silly and stupid comments on the non issues.
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Thondamanaru / September 3, 2013
Throw your cassoack away. You are a disgrace to all Sinhala catholics. You are part of that murky past of the catholic church.
Would the Commissioner have visited my church or place to discuss issues of my people affected……….
Yes, the country is now moving towards authorotarianism BUT the Catholic Church with its doctrine have moved with authoritarianism for almost 2000 years.
What is democracy for the catholics in the Catholic church?? To assist the church foloowers to divide the country in establishing a Tamil Catholic EElam for the Northerners.
S.J.Emmanuel to lead the charge in a cassoack with Iddamalgoda running behind him like his poodle with Rayappu wading a cane or stealing statues.
IDDAMALGODA, JUST MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS CLOSE TO YOUR RELIGION AND SERVE YOUR MASTER.
You do not deserve any respect for being a priest as I see you as a raw thug & a rogue in cassoack similar to Emmanuel.
Go dictate to your Catholic Church which is full of Paedeophiles, Money Launderers
Refrain acting stupid in your cassoack.
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Wickramasiri / September 4, 2013
Insulting comments like yours only serve to reinforce the view that the country is indeed moving toward authoritarianism, my view being that it has already done so. I presume you understand that the country has to be democratic even though the catholic church has no such compulsion. Our problem is not with the church. We can deal with it if needed. Our problem is with the government and it’s actions. There is no point in covering up for the government when we experience the government’s injustice every day. Your insults do not help to correct this situation, and it would make it worse in the future, even if you were to face similar incidents in the future.
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Peace Lover / September 4, 2013
well said sinhala racist thondamannaru your just playing straight into the hands of the intl community with such comments of yours clap clap clap clap!
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Lanka liar / September 4, 2013
Taste of Sri Lankan payment has blinded you. There is help available there are a few vets in the Sri Lankan team
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M.Sivananthan / September 6, 2013
Catholic/Christian priests participated in bank robberies along with LTTE goons. Then what is the “Human Rights” they preach now?
Fr. S.J. Emmanuel praised the LTTE as the “DIVINE SOLDIERS OF CHRIST”.
This is the record of Christian clergies. Human Rights is not a subject of the Church!
Now the “kitchen” of mahinda is crowded with the same church.
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Rev.Devil / September 4, 2013
MR has once again proved his successful dirty trick to make use of any popular figure to white wash his criminal face. Navi pillai on the other hand has proved her defeat in the hands of a classless Politician.
How come she decided to honour a third class uneducated politician like Mahinda by her visit. Now she reaps what she sow. Of course good people like Fr.Yogi are to pay for her stupidity.
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Vichara / September 4, 2013
“Five or six policemen had visited Fr. Veerasan Yogeswaran who runs the Centre at midnight and early morning a few hours after he met with the UN Envoy, AFP said.”
Where was the harassment?. If the Reverend was questioned, why can’t the Reverend reveal the questions asked the policemen
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Rev.Devil / September 6, 2013
”Five or six policemen had visited Fr. Veerasan Yogeswaran who runs the Centre at midnight and early morning”
Vichara, You sound like an Idiotic Sri Lankan Cop – Servant of Political Thugs or a Gunda in Gota’s squad !!?
Entering into other people’s bedroom in midnight to display your vulgarism with women and children in knight dresses has been the democratic task for more than three decades. Which continues to date. You people fly high out of happiness to be celebrated by your thug Masters.
You should really be happy to match your North Korean Partners to display your cruel mentality.
You didn’t stop there. You need the affected to reveal what had happened !!? Why ?? Your moron Lord MR wants to appoint another baila Commission to hit a world record for the most number of Comic Commissions appointed by a single President ever !!?
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