Panel only to advice – President reminds Ban

President Mahinda Rajapaksa reminded UN chief Ban Ki-moon that when the two met in 2010, the latter gave an assurance that the U.N. panel was established only to provide advice to the Secretary-General personally and that it had no investigative role.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Saturday.

The President briefed the Secretary-General on the progress since the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka including the massive infrastructure development in the North and the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons. The President also explained the measures taken by the government to expedite the reconciliation process, including the continuing talks with the Tamil political parties. Mr. Ban expressed satisfaction at these developments.

President Rajapaksa reminded Mr. Ban that when the two met in 2010, the latter gave an assurance that the U.N. panel was established only to provide advice to the Secretary-General personally and that it had no investigative role. The Sri Lankan side read verbatim the minutes kept during the meeting held in 2010 when they last met. The President also recalled that the assurances given were not honoured by the panel.

He complained to the Secretary-General that the U.N. report on alleged rights violations during the war against the LTTE had been conveyed to the Commissioner of Human Rights, Navi Pillay, without informing the Mission in New York or the Government of Sri Lanka. President expressed his dissatisfaction at this ‘breach of protocol,’ absence of due process and procedure which “undermines credibility of the U.N. system.” The Hindu reports.