UNP Parliamentarian Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena said yesterday that the complaint he made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights against President Chandrika Kumaratunga is being inquired into by the UN Human Rights Committee.

Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations office in Geneva writing to the UN Human Rights Committee with regard to Dr. Jayawardena’s complaint in September this year, had disagreed with Dr. Jayawardena’s arguments.

Sri Lankan Mission to the UN Geneva office said: "Dr. Jayawardena has alleged that President Kumaratunge and other leaders have linked him to the LTTE and as a result, he is being exposed to threats. He also alleges that he is being threatened by anonymous callers and also under surveillance unidentified persons. However, there is no mention of him making a complaint to domestic authorities. It is submitted that the failure of Dr. Jayawardena to resort to domestic remedies in the first instance where alleged threats to his life were involved is an important factor to be taken into account in accessing credibility to him."

Meanwhile, Dr. Jayawardena writing to the UN Human Rights Committee on November 23, in response to these observations, has said that he disagreed with the observations made by the Sri Lanka Mission with regard to the complaint he made to the UN Human Rights Committee.

"I made this complaint against the President and this complaint was directed to the UN Human Rights Committee as domestic remedies cannot be exhausted. Under the constitution of Sri Lanka, the President has legal immunity. No local remedy whatsoever can be taken against the President. Therefore I have no other option other than to making a complaint to you under the Optional Protocol Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 86 of the Rules and Procedures of the Human Rights Committee," Dr. Jayawardena has told the UN Human Rights Committee. — (CdeS)