Executive Director of the Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said the government yet to fulfill its promises on the human rights front.
He made this remark today at a press conference where the organization urged the government to address issues with regard to disappearances, political prisoners, killings and journalists living in exile.
"During the election period the leaders of the current government gave a lot of promises about protecting human rights. Although almost 50 days have passed since the government assumed duties, they have not fulfilled the promises," Tennakoon said.
"The government has not yet taken at least basic action to commence an inquiry into disappeared political activists Lalith and Kugan."
Tennakoon added that the government has taken steps to investigate the Welikada prison riots. He also urged the release of Jeyakumari who is still being detained and requested the government to allow kumar Gunaratnam to engage in political activities.
"The government has urged the journalists who left the country to return. However they have not returned because the environment necessary for their return has not been established. Therefore only a few policemen and army officers have returned but they have also arrived with the intention of re-joining the service," he said.
Meanwhile Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), Propaganda Secretary, Pubudu Jagoda, Federation of Media Employees Unions, General Secretary Dharmasiri Lankapeli, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU), General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, and Inter University Students federation (IUSF) Convener, Najith Indika also spoke at the event.
