Sri Lanka: UN temporarily closed

By Jamila Najmuddin | Daily Mirror
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The UN office in Colombo has been temporarily closed and the UN staff has been advised to work from home tomorrow as a result of the tense situation which developed outside the UN office today, UN sources told Daily Mirror online.

UN sources said that instructions to work from home was issued to the UN staff today after the group of protestors led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa who gathered outside the UN office laid siege to the building and prevented the UN staff from leaving the premises.

However there was no indication for how long the UN staff would stay away from their office although it is expected that a decision would be taken following a review of the latest developments.


A United Nations (U.N.) staff member leaves the U.N. headquarters with police protection after they attempted to remove protesters blocking the office in Colombo July 6, 2010 | Reuters
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Meanwhile when contacted, officials at the UN Headquarters in New York said that New York was closely monitoring the situation in Colombo and would take the matter up with the Sri Lankan government.

“We are fully aware of what is happening in Colombo and are closely monitoring the situation. We will raise the matter with the necessary people,” the official said refusing to comment further.

Meanwhile UN Associate spokesman Farhan Haq, speaking to reporters in New York a short while ago said that the UN had registered its strong objections with the Sri Lankan government over the protest organised by Minister Wimal Weerawansa outside the UN office which prevented UN staff from entering and leaving the premises.

He also said that the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombo Neil Buhne had met Prime Minister D.M Jayaratna yesterday and obtained an assurence over the security of the UN staff in Colombo as a result of the threat made by Weerawansa last week urging the public to lay siege to the UN office.

© Daily Mirror