Press Release: The Sri Lankan government wanted the meeting to be a triumph but it quickly turned into a PR disaster as the country's dreadful human rights record became the only story in town.

The Sri Lankan government wanted the meeting to be a triumph but it quickly turned into a PR disaster as the country's dreadful human rights record became the only story in town.
Dear Activist,
We made a BIG impact at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka last week!
"Does anyone specifically have a question that's not on Sri Lanka or human rights?"
This was how an exasperated Commonwealth spokesperson unwittingly summed up CHOGM at a press conference in Sri Lanka last weekend.
The meeting, held in Colombo, was the subject of heated media debate, fueled largely by Amnesty supporters like you, calling on government leaders to strip Sri Lanka of the Commonwealth's chairmanship. The campaign - which mobilized nearly 250,000 Amnesty supporters by email and social media around the world - exposed Sri Lanka's appalling human rights record and put pressure on governments around the world to take action.
The Sri Lankan government wanted the meeting to be a triumph but it quickly turned into a PR disaster as the country's dreadful human rights record became the only story in town.
Even before the meeting started, government leaders from Canada, India and Mauritius (slated as CHOGM's next host) boycotted the meeting. Canada and Mauritius cited Sri Lanka's human rights record as the reason for their leaders' non-attendance. Others, like the UK's Prime Minister David Cameron, made it clear they would go but take a strong stand on human rights in Sri Lanka.
In the end, only 25 out of 53 heads of government attended - a historic low for CHOGM meetings.
Sri Lanka has been given the Chairmanship to the Commonwealth for the next two years, but thanks to Amnesty members around the world, Sri Lanka's human rights record will continue to be watched- not just by the body it leads, but by witnesses like you worldwide.
Thank you for your support.
Danny Vannucchi
Security with Human Rights Campaigner
PS Look out for an email next week on how you can support the world's biggest human rights event this December. Or read about Write for Rights now.


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