Sri Lanka concerned over Ban`s report to UNSC

Colombo: Sri Lanka has expressed disappointment over the inclusion of rights accountability and reconciliation issues in Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon`s report on conflict-related sexual violence submitted to the UN Security Council.

Sri Lanka yesterday informed the UNSC that it was concerned that Ban had mentioned the recent UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution in the report. The government said, "We observe that this year`s Report of the UNSG on conflict-related sexual violence contains references to the HRC (Human Rights Council) resolution on Sri Lanka, accountability, and a comprehensive truth and reconciliation commission. "We are disappointed that such issues which have no relevance to this issue, have been dragged into this report." The government stated that the contents of the HRC resolution have been rejected and disputed by Sri Lanka. "The government will continue to take all necessary measures to heal the wounds of conflict on its own, as the internationalisation of the reconciliation process, would only result in stymying the progress, particularly since it is a domestically developed process". Sri Lanka charges that certain organisations are involved in propagating false reports of sexual violence against the government troops. Britain`s Channel 4 has been producing a series of documentaries on alleged excesses by the government troops in their battle against the LTTE. Sri Lanka has dismissed them as fabrications.