The United States Embassy in Colombo yesterday said, in a media statement, that Washington was concerned about the arrests and detention of several well-known Sri Lankan human rights defenders and activists over the past week. It urged the government to ensure that it abided by transparent legal procedures.
Full text of the statement: “The United States Government is concerned about the arrests and detention of several well-known Sri Lankan human rights defenders and activists over the past week. We urge Sri Lankan government authorities to ensure that all those detained are given transparent and due legal process, including full access to legal counsel.

As we have noted many times in the recent past, both previous and on-going human rights concerns have led many in the international community to push for a UN Human Rights Council resolution on the situation in Sri Lanka. With these latest actions, we remain convinced that continued scrutiny by the Human Rights Council is necessary.”

Courtesy: www.island.lk