Ban Ki-moon to meet Lankan AG

23 February 2011 09:06 am Views - 3466

Two months after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon claimed that his Panel on Sri Lanka could visit the country due to President Mahinda Rajapaksa's “flexibility,” on February 23 Ban is set to meet in New York with Sri Lankan Attorney General Mohan Peiris and Secretary for External Affairs C.R. Jayasinghe, Inner City Press reported

Ban's Panel has not traveled to Sri Lanka, even as its extended deadline approaches. Inner City Press has reported exclusively that the Rajapaksa government since Ban's December 17 statement has refused to allow Ban's three person Panel to interview any Sri Lankan official, saying that such officials will only speak with Ban's Executive Office of the Secretary General.

  Even Ban's offers of video conference between his and Rajapaksa's Panel, or written questions, were rejected.

  While many, including in Ban's office, feels this totally undermines the Panel on Accountability that Ban set up, they say apparently Ban has given in, as reflected by Wednesday's meeting. We'll see. (Inner City Press)