UN official calls for inter-community trust in Lanka

Visiting UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Rita Izsk-Ndiaye today noted that there was a trust deficit involving the Sri Lankan state and different communities in the island.
The Sri Lankan identity and the notion of nationhood must be strengthened to foster a stronger sense of belongingness and togetherness of all Sri Lankans, she said.
"And while the country is undergoing an important reconciliation process with constitutional reform, transitional justice and policy-making, the devastating impact of the war and violence on psychological well-being cannot continue to be ignored," she said.
Past acts of repression of culture and expression, ethnic intolerance and discrimination have severely damaged social and cultural norms and feelings of identity, belonging and trust, she told reporters adding truth-seeking, reconciliation and healing takes time and cannot be done overnight.

However, at the same time, in order not to lose the momentum gained by the new administration in 2015, the government must put in place some urgent, important and concrete measures to clearly demonstrate its political will and commitment to better protect Sri Lankas minorities, she said.
This includes continued return of land to their owners, charging or releasing all security-related detainees, making progress in finding missing persons and taking visible steps to gradually transfer military powers to civilian authorities, she added.
The Hungarian human rights expert was on a 10-day visit assessing the situation in the island. She met foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera and other senior officials.