E/CN.4/2006/5/Add.3 Page 4 Introduction 1. From 2 to 12 May 2005, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief carried out a visit to Sri Lanka in fulfilment of her mandate, at her request and at the invitation of the Government. 2. The Special Rapporteur had most of her meetings in Colombo, but also travelled to Kandy, Batticaloa, Kattankudy, Ampara, Umagama, Jaffna and Killinochi, where she met with local officials, political leaders and religious representatives as well as members of the civil society. 3. During her visit, she held talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, the Minister for Hindu Affairs, the Minister of Buddha Sasana, the Minister for Christian Affairs, the Attorney-General, the Secretary-General of the Peace Secretariat and other officials dealing with questions related to the mandate on freedom of religion or belief. She also had meetings with the leader of the opposition, representatives of different political parties, including the Jathika Hela Urymaya (JHU) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. 4. The Special Rapporteur also had talks with representatives of religious communities and religious organizations, including Venerable Udagama Sri Buddharakhitta, Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando of the Catholic Church and Bishop Duleep de Chickera of the Anglican Church, as well as Muslim religious leaders in Colombo and Kattankudy. She is particularly grateful to Venerable Udagama Sri Buddharakhitta for agreeing to see her on short notice and giving her the unique opportunity of visiting the heart of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. 5. In Killinochi, the Special Rapporteur met with representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamal Eelane (LTTE) and with members of the Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights. 6. Consultations with non-governmental human rights organizations were organized individually and in group at all locations that the Special Rapporteur visited, including with the Civil Rights Movement, the Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Law and Society Trust, INFORM, the Institute of Human Rights (IHR), the Centre for Human Rights and Development and the Joint Committee of Buddhist Organisations. 7. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank the Sri Lankan authorities for their invitation and for the cooperation they extended to her during her visit despite the still difficult circumstances related to the post-tsunami period. She considers that the practical organization of official meetings was remarkable and was particularly pleased by the transparency and openness shown by her interlocutors at the governmental level. Moreover, further to an exchange of letters she already had with the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in this regard, she would like to reiterate her sadness at the assassination of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. 8. She is also grateful for the positive attitude that religious representatives manifested throughout her presence in Sri Lanka and for the information and opinions that they transparently shared with her. The Sri Lankan civil society was also extremely open and flexible