Civil Groups Condemn President Sirisena for Retaining the Advisory Panel Hired by Rajapaksamissing2Sri Lanka Brief04/08/2015Civil Society groups have condemned President Sirisenas governments continued retention of the Advisory Panel of international lawyers hired by the Rajapaksa government to defend its record. It furthest says that the Commission of Inquiry has failed to earn the confidence of victims and overburdened it with a mandate that was meant to address the overwhelming cases of missing persons from across Sri Lanka, raising serious questions about the willingness of the government to address the issue of enforced disappearances.The full statement follows:His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena,President of Sri LankaYour Excellency,We the undersigned members of Sri Lankan civil society write to you pursuant to credible information made available to us that the Bar Standards Board of the United Kingdom has decided to initiate a formal investigation into the conduct of Sir Desmond de Silva with respect to his role in Sri Lanka. This investigation commenced on 20 July 2015.In this respect, we unreservedly condemn your governments continued retention of the Advisory Panel of international lawyers hired by the Rajapaksa government to defend its record. This Panel has further discredited a Commission of Inquiry that has failed to earn the confidence of victims and overburdened it with a mandate that was meant to address the overwhelming cases of missing persons from across Sri Lanka, raising serious questions about the willingness of the government to address the issue of enforced disappearances. We were therefore shocked that your government several Ministers of which were in the past scathingly critical of the lack of independence of these lawyers and the astronomical fees paid to them has continued to retain the Advisory Panel chaired by Sir Desmond de Silva.We understand that Sir Desmond was prior to being appointed to the Advisory Panel retained by the Rajapaksa government to provide advice concerning, among others, that governments own responsibility for international crimes. Upon producing a written opinion to the Rajapaksa government, Sir Desmond was appointed thereafter to chair the Advisory Panel.Despite this, your government continues to retain him as an advisor to a Commission supposed to provide answers to deeply anguished victims. Your governments continuation of Rajapaksa administration policies is dangerous and utterly incompatible with a stated commitment to the rule of law and good governance. Sir Desmonds continued role as Chairman of the Advisory Panel is simply untenable in light of a pending formal investigation being conducted against him by the Bar Standards Board. In light of these serious concerns, we urge you to rescind Sir Desmonds appointment forthwith and to take steps to ensure the independence and integrity of state institutions.CC: Hon. Prime MinisterHon. Minister of External AffairsSir Desmond de SilvaMr. Maxwell ParanagamaMr. Zeid Raad al Hussein UN High Commissioner for Human RightsMr. Pablo de Grieff United Nations Special Rapporteur on Truth, Justice, Reparations and Guarantees of Non-RecurrenceSignatures:IndividualsAmeer M. Faaiz Attorney-at-law

Anthony Jesudasan

Aruni Jayakody

Gowthaman Attorney-at-law

Bhavani Fonseka Attorney-at-law

Bishop Duleep de Chickera

Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe

Brito Fernando

Damaris Wickremesekera

A.C. Visvalingam

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

Philip Setunga

Selvy Thiruchandran

Gajen Mahendra

Gamini Jayaweera

Gamini Viyangoda Writer & Journalist

Godfrey Yogarajah

Isabelle Lassee

Aingkaran HRD & Attorney-at-law

S. Ratnavale Attorney-at-law

Kusal Perera Journalist

Marisa de Silva

Nalini Ratnarajah

Nichola Emmanuel

Niran Anketell Attorney-at-law

Arjuna Aluwihare

Jayantha Seneviratne University of Kelaniya

Savitri Gunesekera

Pulasthi Hewamanna

M.B Senanayake Retired CCS

Fr. Jeyabalan Croos

Fr. V. Yogeswaran

Rosanna Flamer

Ruki Fernando

Sampath Samarakoon

Shreen Abdul Saroor

Udaya Kalupathirana

Vijaya

OrganizationsCentre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD)

Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)

Centre for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (CPPHR), Trincomalee

Committee for Democracy and Justice

Equal Ground

INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre

Kandy Citizens Front

Religious Liberty Commission

Resource Center for Community Groups

Right to Life (R2L) Human Rights Centre

South Asian Centre for Legal Studies

World Evangelical Alliance

04thAugust, 2015Posted byThavam