Sri Lanka says torture not 'routine'
COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka dismissed allegations by a top United Nations official that torture was "widely practised" during counter-terrorism operations in the troubled island.
Following a visit to the island earlier this month, the UN's Manfred Nowak on Tuesday said torture -- including beatings, asphyxiation and burning -- was becoming "routine" and that "torture is widely practised in Sri Lanka."
However, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe dismissed Nowak's comments and said such conclusions did not figure in Nowak's preliminary findings.
During discussions with officials, Nowak said that the use of torture was not systematic in Sri Lanka, Samarasinghe said in a statement.
"At the meeting, Mr. Nowak made it clear that his usage of the term 'widely practised' was in reference to instances of alleged torture that he witnesses in diverse locations... that such alleged instances did not relate exclusively or predominantly to the conflict or conflict-affected areas," Samarasinghe said.
Samarasinghe maintained that Sri Lanka had adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy on torture and is closely studying Nowak's preliminary recommendations with a view to strengthening local institutional and legal frameworks.
