Gaddafi call to President Mahinda "Bad News" - HRW

Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch, NY has remarked via twitter on reports of Libya's Gaddafi calling President Mahinda Rajapaksa as follows:

Kenneth Roth [on twitter.com/KenRoth]

"Bad news: BBC reports Libya's Gaddafi called SriLanka Pres Mahinda, known for indiscriminate warfare & atrocities in fighting insurgency."

According to Sri Lanka Government official news site, Sri Lanka asked Gaddafi to "establish peace in Libya" during a telephone conversation.

News.lk website further states:

Presidential Media Director General Mr, Bandula Jayasekara told Information Department that Sri Lankan President has made this request to the Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi when he telephoned Sri Lankan President.

Mr. Rajapaksa told Gaddafi "Establish peace in Libya as soon as possible and safeguard the lives of Libyan people" said the Presidential spokesman.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka has chartered a flight to evacuate its nationals working in Libya. The charter flight carrying 400 workers will arrive in Sri Lanka this weekend, an official of the External Affairs ministry said. Already 160 workers have returned to the country. There were about 1200 expatriate Sri Lankans working in Libya and many of them now want to be repatriated. The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau is making the logistics with the External Affairs Ministry to bring back the Lankans who are trapped in Libya.

Sri Lanka Information Department: http://twitter.com/newsdotlk