Today the Asian Human Rights Commission has come with further information on the letter from the Ministry of Defence I referred to a few days ago: https://thoolen.wordpress.com/2014/07/08/sri-lankan-ministry-of-defense-to-human-rights-defenders-stop-breathing/. This letter had come under serious criticism from many NGOs within Sri Lanka and beyond. The United Nations wants inquire into the circumstances under which this letter was issued.
As a result of this condemnation, the Ministry of External Affairs has issued another letter, attempting to explain away the earlier one. The Ministry for External Affairs’ letter attempts to create the impression that the work of NGOs are restricted by several laws under the Voluntary Social Service Organizations Act Number 31 of 1980, by amendments to the Act, by regulations issued under an Extraordinary Gazette, as well as by a Circular Letter of the Secretary to the President. This letter from the External Affairs’ Ministry is a complete misrepresentation of the law in Sri Lanka. Read the rest of this entry »
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 