Sri Lanka Commends friendly nations for their supports on SL's
stance on UN Panel of Experts
Sri Lanka has commended Russia, China, Iran and the
118 Non-Aligned countries for defending its decision not to allow the
UNSG's expert panel to probe alleged human rights violations in the
final phase of the battle that crushed LTTE terrorism in May last year.
Especially Russia has criticized the appointment of a
UN Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka questioning why the opinion of the
Security Council or the General Assembly was not sought in the matter.
Investigating the events that occurred in the past in Sri Lanka lies
with its Government, Russia said in a statement.
Here is the Full Release;
Moscow has taken note of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's
decision to appoint a UN panel of experts to investigate war crimes
during the period of the campaign against the Tamil Tigers. As follows
from UN sources, this panel is not a fact finding or investigation
mechanism, but is designed solely to advise him on accountability issues
relating to alleged violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law.
In doing so, the UN Secretary-General as chief
administrative officer of the United Nations should apparently have
asked the opinion of the Security Council or the General Assembly on
this matter. But this has not happened. What also makes us cautious is
the fact that this decision was taken without regard to the position of
a sovereign state and a member of the UN - Sri Lanka. As is known, they
in Sri Lanka have already begun their own investigation process at
national level (the Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation with
a mandate to review all aspects of the conflict). As follows from the
statement made on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka by the External
Affairs Ministry of that country, and the statement of its Minister of
Information, Sri Lanka "regards the appointment of the Sri Lanka Panel
of Experts as unwarranted and unnecessary and contrary to the position
of a UN member state." Lynn Pascoe, the Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs, who visited Sri Lanka a few days ago, as we
understand, was aware of this position of Colombo.
We believe that the primary responsibility for
investigating the events that occurred in the past in Sri Lanka lies
with its Government and that the newly appointed UN panel of experts,
which, as follows from UN Secretariat statements, does not intend to
visit Sri Lanka, will not take any steps that would complicate the
investigation being conducted by the authorities of Colombo.
Courtesy: Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka | 
