UN Commissioner Disturbed by Attacks on Churches and Christians in Sri Lanka

ICC Note:
After returning from a recent official visit to Sri Lanka, Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that she was disturbed by the recent attacks on Christian and Muslims and their places of worship. Attacks on churches have escalated in intensity and number over the past year as Buddhist nationalism spread across the country. Mobs led by Buddhist monks have destroyed many churches and beaten many pastors over the past couple of months alone, leading many to express concern over the state of religious freedom in Sri Lanka.
9/29/2013 Sri Lanka (Asia News) – In Sri Lanka, the recent incidents of hate speech against religious minorities, such as the attacks onchurches and mosques, are “particularly alarming” and must be stopped “as soon as possible.” This was stated by Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC), presenting her report on her official visit to the Asian country, which took place earlier this month. The politician presented the report in Geneva on September 25th.
In the report Pillay reminds the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that it has until March 2014 to shed light once and for all on the violations committed during the civil war. Beyond that date, she explains, “the international community will have the right to initiate its own independent investigation.” “In this journey – she continues – the High Commissioner noted a great concern among many analysts, who wonder if Sri Lanka is undermining the democratic mechanism and the rule of law.”
The country was subject to a UN resolution on war crimes committed by the armed forces during the decades of ethnic conflict.
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