The United Nations has asked Sri Lanka to explain allegations by a retired army general that surrendering Tamil rebel leaders were killed in cold blood in mid-May, the government said on Monday. The presidency said the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, had asked for an explanation of what had [...]
UN Under-Secretary -General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir John Holmes, during his meeting with Foreign Minister Bogollagama, states that his current visit to Sri Lanka is under “more positive circumstances”. The UN Under-Secretary -General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir John Holmes, who is on an official visit to Sri Lanka from 17th to 19th November 2009 called [...]
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says he is sending his Human Rights Ambassador François Zimeray to Sri Lanka in order to gather from the authorities, the NGOs and the population information, evidence and proposals that will allow France to help Sri Lanka speed up the voluntary return of refugees and strengthen the rule of law. [...]
After attacks in Afghanistan that killed five UN workers last week, the international body announced it is pulling out 600 of its foreign workers while it builds a fortified complex. The United Nations has announced that it will temporarily remove 600 of its foreign workers from Afghanistan. The decision comes as a result of last [...]
Sri Lanka May Need Gaza-style Rights Inquiry: U.N, An investigation similar to one that looked at the fighting in Gaza may be needed to determine whether war crimes were perpetrated in Sri Lanka in the final throes of his 26 years of war in the spring, a UN office said Friday . “There has been [...]
Sri Lanka may stand for the ‘non-permanent’ seat on the Security Council from the Asian Group, though officially it is said that no decision has yet been taken. Presently, Japan occupies the seat and its term ends in December 2010. Sri Lanka was elected to the highest UN forum only once in the sixties for [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has criticized the Sri Lankan government for not responding “to our many requests for an international investigation of what we say is widespread acts of killing of civilians.” Speaking to reporters in Brussels, she said that “such a request has also been made by the (UN) [...]
Sri Lanka, which won its war against terrorism has a responsibility by its people to win the peace by accelerating the resettlement process of the IDPs belonging to all communities, UNDP Director for Asia and the Pacific, Ajay Chhibber told Daily Mirror online today. Mr. Chhibber said while the UNDP welcomed the Sri Lankan government’s efforts [...]
The trigger for the enlightened West’s enthusiastic pursuit of justice for Tamils was the (10-19 May 2009) massacres by the Sri Lankan (SL) armed forces of over 20 000 civilians along with a white flag waving group of the Tamil resistance (LTTE) leaders in the narrow ‘no fire’ zone. Committed officials in the OCRHC and [...]
The EU acknowledges that Sri Lanka does not comply with human rights obligations, yet still grants it trade preferences In 2005, when the EU’s generous tariff preferences arrangement, the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP+), was under review, Romano Prodi challenged why, of the countries in the region, Sri Lanka should be granted GSP+ status instead [...]
Colombo: A UN human rights expert on Friday visited Sri Lanka’s military-run detention camps where nearly 300,000 war-displaced civilians have been held since the country’s civil war ended four months ago. Walter Kaelin, the UN secretary-general’s representative for the human rights of internally displaced persons, visited camps in northern Vavuniya and Mannar districts, said Sulakshani [...]
Long on rhetoric and short of solid answers, the maiden speech of US President Barack Obama at the United Nations was not only a big disappointment but also an indication that his foreign policy was as detestable as that of his much-criticised predecessor, George W. Bush. Much was expected from Obama in his first UN [...]
Britain walked out of a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran at the United Nations on Wednesday night in protest at anti-Semitic remarks. The speech came as the international community raised the pressure on Iran to acknowledge its nuclear programme ahead of key talks next week. South American delegations also marched from the grand [...]
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Wednesday denounced the structure of the U.N. Security Council, criticizing the permanent seats and veto power granted to a limited number of nations. Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly’s annual debate session, Gadhafi called for world unity in confronting global crises such as climate change and food shortages. But he [...]
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