Sri Lanka has made another bid to persuade United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to re-consider his decision to appoint a panel to advise him on accountability issues during the final phase of the military offensive against Tiger guerrillas.
The latest appeal was made by Attorney General Mohan Peiris during talks with the UN chief in New York.
UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky confirmed at a news conference that the meeting had taken place but failed to give details.
His remarks came as Mr. Ban has delayed the appointment of the panel. He has had a series of meetings in this regard with Sri Lanka’s UN Ambassador Palitha Kohona.
He is learnt to have explained there was at present no need for such a panel since the government has already appointed a Committee of eminent persons to investigate several aspects. President Mahinda Rajapaksa in November last year appointed a five-member independent committee to investigate allegations made by the U.S. State Department in a document titled ‘Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka’.
The document detailed incidents of alleged human rights violations during the last stages of the war in the north.
The Committee was to submit its report in December last year but its term was extended by four months. The report is expected to be submitted by the end of this month.
The UN-based Inner City Press news group reported that a UN official indicated on Thursday, “not to expect any movement on Mr. Ban's six week old commitment to name a panel on war crimes in Sri Lanka, even just to advise him.” |
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