IBAHRI Commonwealth Conference in Sri Lanka cancelled

As reproduced from 

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​here.

13/11/2013

Following the Sri Lankan authorities’ action last week of revoking visas for speakers of an 

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International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) delegation to attend the conference ‘Making Commonwealth Values a Reality’, the event has now been cancelled.

The co-hosted IBAHRI and Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Conference, scheduled to take place on 13 November 2013 in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, ahead of the start of the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), will now instead take the form of a press conference in Thailand.

In collaboration with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the IBAHRI will host a press conference at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday 14 November 2013 (10h30 – 12h00 (ICT); 03h30 – 05h00 (GMT); 09h00 – 10h30 (IST)). The event will be streamed live via this link 

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http://www.ustream.tv/channel/fcct-live to the international community and will include a specially recorded message from the UN Special Rapporteur Gabriela Knaul. Speakers Will include Dato’ Param Cumaraswamy, barrister and first United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers; Sadakat Kadri, barrister and IBAHRI 2013 Sri Lanka mission rapporteur; and Alex Wilks, IBAHRI Senior Programme Lawyer. Sheila Varadan, International Legal Advisor, South Asia Programme, ICJ, will chair.

Mark Ellis, International Bar Association (IBA) Executive Director said, ‘It is extremely disappointing, although not surprising, that the Government of Sri Lanka would revoke previously issued visas in order to prevent open debate. The salient question is why block a conference intended to enrich the CHOGM discussions?’ He added, ‘The cancelled Conference presented a valuable opportunity to discuss the role of the Commonwealth in upholding the rule of law today. The Sri Lankan Government’s actions highlight the pressing and urgent need for the Commonwealth to be reformed so that it can engage meaningfully on human rights and the rule of law.’

More than 200 lawyers and diplomats were registered to attend the joint IBAHRI and BASL Conference to discuss the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in the Commonwealth as a whole and to contribute to, and inform, the discussions of Commonwealth officials, diplomats and civil society members during the CHOGM. However, government actions created a hostile environment making it impossible to hold a fruitful exchange on Commonwealth values.

Sternford Moyo, IBAHRI Co-Chair commented, ‘In view of recent Sri Lankan government statements to the media and the current climate in the country, the IBAHRI fully understands and supports the Bar Association of Sri Lanka’s decision to cancel the Conference. Further, we consider any criticism directed at the Bar Association of Sri Lanka for planning to co-host the Conference to be reprehensible.’

ENDS

Notes to the Editor

The conference had been planned for several months, with visas issued for IBAHRI delegates through the BASL in accordance with the procedure indicated to it by officials of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London. On 28th August 2013, the following ETA visas were issued by the Controller of Immigration:

130826PG1218467 - 130826PM1504191 - Gabriela Knaul

130826PG1218467 - 130826PM1504192 - Paramasothi Cumaraswamy

130826PG1218467 - 130826PM1504189 - Alexander Jeffrey Wilks

Journalists wanting to attend the press conference in Bangkok should send an email to 

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sheila.varadan@icj.org

Read IBA Senior Reporter Rebecca Lowe’s recent article: Sri Lanka bans human rights delegates from major Commonwealth meeting

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Romana St. Matthew - Daniel

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