Colombo: Voicing concern over the arrest of
ex-army commander Sarath Fonseka, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has
asked President Mahinda Rajapaksa to respect due process of
law in the case of the General and announced plans to send one
of his top envoys to Sri Lanka for talks with the government.
Ban conveyed his concerns to President Rajapaksa during a
telephonic conversation last night.
According to a spokesperson of the UN Secretary General,
Ban urged the President to respect due process of law
regarding the case of the former army chief and "runner-up" in
January 26 presidential elections.
He called on the Sri Lankan government to guarantee
personal safety of Fonseka, who was arrested on Monday for
alleged "military offences."
The UN chief also announced plans to dispatch his top
political official to the island nation for dialogue, the UN
News Centre said in New York.
Ban said he would send Under-Secretary General for
Political Affairs B Lynn Pascoe to Colombo for talks soon.
Ban`s spokesperson said the UN chief also urged Rajapaksa
to keep his commitment in a joint statement with the world
body last year about ensuring "concrete proposals for a
political solution of issues with the Tamil community in the
North and ... full accountability for any crimes against
international humanitarian law or abuses of human rights."
In May last year, Sri Lankan troops defeated the LTTE,
ending a civil war that had lasted for almost three decades.
Ban "took note of the progress in returning displaced
persons to their places of origin, but added that more needs
to be done in this regard," the UN release said.
He said he looked forward to further dialogue between the
UN and Sri Lankan government.
PTI
