Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited a renowned Indian Human Rights Activist, Padma Shri Prof. Avdhash Kaushal Chairperson of Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, a Dehradun based NGO to join the International panel of experts attached to the Presidential Commission investigating wartime disappearances and charges of war crimes against the Lankan armed forces and the Tamil Tigers.
The panel comes would a mandate of ?Special Consultative Status with Economic and Social Council of United Nations for having special competence in empowering Indigenous Groups, Marginalized Population, Women and Children in claiming their entitlements?. Sri Lankan Government has formed this International panel of experts on the advice of Japanese government in which Panel members will be Prof. Avdhash Kaushal from India and rest of the names from Japan and Pakistan will be decided this week.
Prof. Kaushal said that the offer has come after the consent of Indian Government also. He said that ?I have conveyed my acceptance to be a member of this prestigious and challenging panel. I have trained a number of Lankans, including Tamils from Jaffna, in human rights. More than 20 Lankans have so far attended the 10-month course in human rights at the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK)?.
Padma Shri Avdhash Kaushal said, ?that an effective National, Regional or Sub regional human rights mechanism must satisfy several major criteria including having members who have the experience and competence in the field of human rights; mandate to promote human rights and investigate complaints of human rights violations; and sufficient resources to perform the tasks. These criteria are also important in ensuring the independence of a National, regional or sub regional human rights mechanism?.
Mamta Thappa, Legal expert of RLEK said that, ?it is not only another feather in the cap of RLEK but also a great honour to State of Uttarakhand as well as to whole India to include Padam Shri Kaushal in the prestigious International Panel?.
