AI Secretary General Irene Khan meets President Rajapaksha in Geneva

Meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksha in Geneva, AI’s Secretary General Irene Khan said president Rajapaksa must use his executive power to invite the United Nations (UN) to set up a monitoring mission to investigate and verify serious human rights abuses.

A climate of fear dominates Sri Lanka with human rights activists and journalists threatened, attacked, intimidated, harassed and killed Irene Khan

AI estimates that during past twelve months there were over 1,000 "disappearances" and unlawful killings in Sri Lanka.

In an exclusive interview with BBC's Priyath Liyanage Irene Khan said AI discredit the LTTE for killing and abducting civilians and, condemned the practice of recruiting children as soldiers by the Karuna faction.

A climate of fear

"A climate of fear dominates Sri Lanka with human rights activists and journalists threatened, attacked, intimidated, harassed and killed” said Irene Kahn.

“Even humanitarian workers have not been immune," she added.

	President Rajapaksha in Geneva with Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe

AI is in the view that the Commission of Inquiry set up by the President last year has failed to reduce impunity human rights abuses.

It pointed out that the credibility and effectiveness of the commission has been challenged by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons set up by the President himself.

"The alarming escalation of human rights abuses over the past 18 months clearly shows that existing domestic mechanisms for protecting civilians and delivering justice are wholly inadequate and have failed to deter perpetrators," said the secretary general of AI.

UN Monitors

AI stress the impotence of an independent monitors to investigate human rights abuses by all sides and urge president Rajapaksha to open an immedeiate dialogue with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up an international field operation that has a mandate to monitor and investigate human rights violations.

The government's efforts to date have been woefully inadequate Irene Khan

"The presence of a significant, independent, transparent and fully-resourced international human rights field operation will help to strengthen national institutions responsible for accountability and justice. It must extend to areas of LTTE control," said Ms Khan.

“The government's efforts to date have been woefully inadequate. President Rajapakse has an opportunity to change that." She added.