London, Apr. 27 (ANI): Canada has launched a blistering attack on Sri Lanka's 'appalling' record on democratic accountability.
The attack comes as the controversy intensifies over the Commonwealth's decision to allow Colombo to host its biennial heads of government meeting later this year.
According to the Guardian, the Commonwealth's general secretary has however said that he saw no reason to deny Sri Lanka from hosting the summit in November despite mounting international concern over the country's failure to tackle human rights abuses.
Canada's foreign minister John Baird said he was stunned that Colombo was not facing censure for its behaviour.
He added that it is not just Canada: the Commonwealth Journalists' Association; the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative; the Commonwealth Lawyers' Association; the Commonwealth Legal Education Association; the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association; Human Rights Watch, the United Nations Human Rights Council - all have come out and unanimously said that not only has Sri Lanka not made progress, but in many instances, is getting worse.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly raised concerns over Sri Lanka's hosting of CHOGM and threatened to boycott the meeting if Colombo does not show real evidence of progress, the report added. (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
