"UN panel not authorized" says Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN

By Easwaran Ratnam | Daily Mirror Online
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The three member panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon to advise him on Sri Lanka is not authorized by any decision making body of the UN, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Dr. Palitha Kohona said.

In an emailed response to a question posed by Daily Mirror online Dr. Kohona said that the move by the UN Chief to appoint the panel sets precedent as it is not authorized. He also noted that a similar move on Sri Lanka was resoundingly rejected by the UN Human Rights Council last year.

UN Secretary-General Ban ki-moon had earlier reiterated that the three member panel appointed by him on Sri Lanka has been set up to advise him with regard to taking forward the objectives of the Joint Statement of 23 May 2009 between Sri Lanka and the UN and is not an investigative body.

The Secretary-General had said the strong reaction to his establishment of the panel of experts on accountability in Sri Lanka is not warranted.

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