[JURIST] Sri Lankan and visiting UN officials disagreed publicly Saturday on how to approach the country's worsening human rights situation in the midst of ongoing civil conflict. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour [official website] said at a news conference she would support a possible UNOHCHR monitoring mission as urged by activists. Sri Lankan Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, however, immediately rejected that option. saying the government would not allow such a presence but would work with the UN on the problem. Arbour emphasized the need for unbiased monitoring of possible rights violations, saying:

there has yet to be an adequate and credible public accounting for the vast majority of these incidents...In the absence of more vigorous investigations, prosecution and convictions, it is hard to see how this will come to an end.