Sri Lanka blacklists HRW official

by admin
May 12, 2009

THE Government of Sri Lanka has blacklisted an official of Human Rights Watch (HRW) citing violation of the immigration and emigration laws.

Anna Neistat, a senior researcher of the emergencies division at HRW was accused Immigration and Emigration controller P.B. Abeykoon of entering the country using forged documents last February.

Tamil analysts, say Neistat is being targeted for speaking against the government’s human rights abuses.

 

Neistat recently testified before the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on Sri Lanka. She described the welfare centers set up for the civilians reaching government controlled Vavuniya as 'internment camps with barbed wires and machine guns'.

Neistat also admitted that she managed to collect credible information about 'egregious violations by the parties to the conflict' and also that the the HRW visited the Vavuniya hospital on February 11 and interviewed patients.

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