No Restrictions On NGOs

By Waruni Karunarathne

The Prime Minister’s office has assured that there will not be any restrictions for Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to conduct workshops and proceed with other activities that fall within the law of the country.

Member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Dr Prathibha Mahanamahewa told The Sunday Leader that the HRCSL met the Additional secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the restrictions imposed on NGOs under the NGO Secretariat circular when conducting workshops and other activities.

This circular was issued by the National Secretariat for NGOs under the Defence and Urban Development of the former government and under this circular, orders were given preventing NGOs from conducting press conferences, workshops, training programs for journalists and disseminating press releases.

“The Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office, a senior representative and several NGO representatives including the Executive Director of Rights Now took part in the meeting conducted by the HRCSL last Thursday,” Mahanamahewa said.

According to Dr Mahanamahewa, they requested officials at the Prime Minister’s Office to consider revising the circular or withdrawing it.

“The Additional Secretary said that they are right now giving more focus on the 100-day programme but he would discuss the matters with the Prime Minister and sort the matters out. Until such time, he gave the NGOs a verbal assurance that there would not be any restrictions for the NGOs to conduct their workshops and other activities within the country’s legal boundaries,” Mahanamahewa added.

Mahanamahewa also said that the NGOs had been complaining about the restrictions under the circular and about several incidents where some workshops for journalists were disrupted and challenged by the Security Forces under the previous regime.