UN Chief asks Sri Lanka to constructively engage with UN High Commissioner

Thursday, 3 April 2014 00:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New York: The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the Sri Lankan government to constructively engage and cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of the resolution adopted last week by the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General said the Secretary-General has consistently underlined the importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Sri Lanka. The spokesperson was responding to a media question that asked what the response of the Secretary General was to a statement reportedly made by the Sri Lankan President’s human rights envoy, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe that Sri Lanka will not participate in any way or cooperate or allow any investigators into the country. The spokesperson said the Secretary-General welcomes the determination by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to advance accountability and promote lasting peace and reconciliation in the country. “The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to constructively engage and cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner on the implementation of the resolution adopted last week by the Human Rights Council. He recalls the commitments made to him on accountability by the President of Sri Lanka in their Joint Statement of 2009,” the spokesperson said. Haq said that the United Nations will remain engaged with Sri Lanka to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to make progress in accountability, reconciliation and a lasting political solution. The resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 27 March requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to undertake a comprehensive independent investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka from February, 2002 to May, 2009.

Sri Lanka signs UN resolution on combating terrorism

Sri Lanka has signed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, which sets out strategies to combat terrorism and to control terrorist financing. Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris signed the order and it will be published in the Government Gazette shortly, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. This order is based on the recommendation by the Secretary, Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, as the Competent Authority regarding the identification of persons, groups and entities, believed on reasonable grounds to be committing, attempting to commit, facilitating or participating, in the commission of acts of terrorism. The substantial effect of an order under this Regulation is that all funds, assets and economic resources belonging to or owned by the designated persons or entities remain frozen until they are removed from the designated list. Moving, transferring or dealing with frozen assets without the permission of the Competent Authority is prohibited. In terms of the Regulation, any person who fails to comply with an order to freeze assets is liable to heavy penalties.