United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, today urged the Government to fast track the releasing of land while reducing the size of the military in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

“I urge you to speed up the return of land so that the remaining communities of displaced people can return home. In parallel, the size of the military force in the North and East could be reduced, helping to build trust and reduce tensions,” Mr. Ban, who is on a three day visit to the country, said at an event held in Colombo.

In his keynote address on "Sustaining Peace – Achieving Sustainable Development Goals", he said the need for fast tracking the process to allow displaced people to return home and help reduce tensions in the country.

Speaking of his previous visit to the country in 2009, Mr. Ban said the Government had made impressive progress and congratulated it on passing the 19th Amendment and the Right to Information Act.

“I commend your efforts to move forward on a comprehensive transitional justice agenda and on a constitutional reform process,” he said adding that however, much needed to be done to redress the wrongs of the past and restore the legitimacy and accountability of key institutions, particularly the judiciary and the security services.

“I commend the Government’s moves to restore the credibility and independence of the Human Rights Commission. Now it is important that the Commission receives the respect and resources it needs to carry out its work effectively. This is critical for reconciliation, and for ensuring respect for the human rights of all Sri Lankans, without regard for ethnicity, religion, political affiliation or any other factors,” Mr. Ban said. (Nabeela Hussain)