Amid questions over the fate of Sri Lanka’s war refugees, UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, Lynn Pascoe (right), voiced “strong concerns” that the government had been slow to resettle displaced civilians.
The United Nations has told Sri Lanka that it is worried about reports of mistreatment of two of its staffers arrested in Sri Lanka and held without charge since June, suspected by the government of working with Tamil separatist rebels.
Sri Lankan authorities have ordered a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to leave the country within two weeks, accusing him of "propaganda" in favour of the defeated Tamil Tigers rebels in his interviews with the media.
The UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions has urged the Sri Lankan government to set up an independent inquiry into a video allegedly showing Sri Lankan troops executing prisoners. (WARNING: video contains disturbing images.)
Only 28% of the 125,000 eligible voters went to the polls for the first election since the Tamil Tigers were militarily defeated last May in the northern cities of Jaffna and Vanuniya. The pro-Tigers Tamil National Alliance won the city of Vavuniya.
Residents in the northern cities of Jaffna and Vavuniya vote in the first local polls since 1998. The elections come almost three months after a massive military operation wiped out the Tamil Tigers and left close to 300,000 people homeless.
Sri Lanka organised Saturday the first vote since the government forces defeated the Tigers three months ago. However, the situation is still unsecured and the country still ethnically divided with 300 000 Tamils detained in refugee camps.
Just three months after the Sri Lankan armed forces claimed victory over the seperatist Tamil Tigers in a 25 year old war that cost more than 80 000 lives, could the Sri Lanka vote be a return to normality?
Sri Lankan authorities have arrested Selvarasa Pathmanathan, the newly appointed leader of the nearly defunct Tamil Tigers. Pathmanathan arrest comes only a fortnight after he was declared the successor of Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Residents in the northern cities of Jaffna and Vavuniya vote in the first local polls since 1998. The elections come almost three months after a massive military operation wiped out the Tamil Tigers and left close to 300,000 people homeless.
