Sri Lanka monks protest UN Rights Chief’s visit

Ravana Balaya Buddhist monks, a Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist group, staged a protest on Monday against the United Nation’s Rights Chief’s visit, calling her maiden trip to Sri Lanka as “anti-Lanka.”

They were halted by the police while trying to move towards the U.N. gate at Baudhaloka Mawatha compound as the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay was having her day one engagements of her week-long visit to the country.

Ms. Pillay arrived in Colombo to begin a fact-finding mission on the alleged war crimes by the military during the nearly three-decade-long conflict with the LTTE. Her visit is being opposed by nationalist groups who are unhappy with the government for allowing her into the country.