Public security minister Tiran Alles has been summoned to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on March 13 reportedly to explain the crackdown on university students in the past two days.
However, a former member of the HRCSL Pratibha Mahanamahewa has found fault with the order for the minister’s appearance before the commission.
The HRCSL should order a report from the relevant state agency and study it first, in this case the secretary to the subject ministry, he said.
The commission’s jurisdiction relates to creating a culture of respect for human rights, and its recommendations cannot be treated as orders like by a court, Mahanamahewa said.
Calling for sensitivity with regard to issues of public and national security, he said that or else, even the president could be summoned to the HRCSL over matters of declaration of war and peace.
