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| Dr. Beyani |
Ananth Palakidnar
Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, had urged the United Nations to assist in removing the obstacles created due to the heavy military presence in the Northern Province, when he met the on IDPs, Dr. Chaloka Beyani. He is on a five-day tour in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Beyani who arrived from Geneva, visited Jaffna and met the Chief Minister at his office yesterday. Provincial Councillor, Ananthi Sasitharan, was also present during the meeting. Dr. Beyani had verified in detail about the post-war humanitarian and the political development in the Northern Province.
Responding, Wigneswaran had said that Valikamam North in the Peninsula remains inaccessible to more than 30,000 IDPs in the region.
“The heavy military presence in the North had even affected the livelihood of the fisher folk in the coastal areas of Valikamam North. The military presence also leads to the change of demography in the region. Therefore to create a peaceful atmosphere for the IDPS to get back to their original places of residence, the withdrawal of military personnel from the North should be prioritized,” the Chief Minister said.
Wigneswaran had also briefed Dr. Beyani on the role played by Ananthi Sasitharan, with regard to the social security of around 80,000 war widows in the North.
Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur had also met the Governor of the Northern Province, G.A. Chandrasiri, the Government Agent, Sundaram Arumainayagam, and representatives of civil society in Jaffna.
Earlier, the UN official had met the Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa in Colombo, soon after his arrival on 2 December. He is also expected to meet the IDPs in the Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi areas.
Dr. Beyani is expected to meet representatives from the government, civil society and the UN. He will also visit various sites of displacement and meet displaced persons and the local authorities.
He will present a preliminary report in a written statement shortly after the end of his mission, while a full report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2014, sources said.