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| Government seeks to explain why protest demonstrations were held outside UN Office |
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(Lanka-e-News, July 08, 2010, 1.40PM) Wimal Weerawansa, the Minister of housing and engineering services organized a protest demonstration outside the UN Organization two days ago against the appointment of a panel of experts by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to advise him in regard to the SL war crimes allegedly committed during the last phase of the SL war.
Indeed, the Minister had on an earlier occasion in his characteristic violence prone gangster style warned publicly that he would resort to this barbaric action–besiege the UN office in Colombo and hold its staff hostage. Of course, the Govt. then dissociated itself from his views when the UN office inquired about it, and stated that those were Weerawansa’s personal outbursts, and had nothing to do with the Govt.’s official stand.
However, later, the Minister did lead a huge crowd and truly made good his ominous threat, which finally in keeping with his gangster style ended up in a most violent note, with a senior DIG and a former Minister getting severely mauled, among many others injured.
The Govt. in an effort to explain why the protest demonstrations were held outside the UN office in Colombo has issued a communiqué released by its Dept. of Govt. information which is appended herein : |
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PROTEST DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE UN OFFICE IN COLOMBO
The Government of Sri Lanka dealt with the protest outside the UN complex in Colombo today, in compliance with both domestic as well as international obligations. At the domestic level, Sri Lanka being a democratic society, the Government had to respect the entitlement to voice opinion, including through peaceful demonstrations. Accordingly, the Police permitted a peaceful gathering in front of the complex. |
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The Government was also absolutely mindful of its international obligations and so the Police authorities deployed adequate strength and remained vigilant, to ensure the safety of the UN complex and of the personnel within it. At the end of the working day, the Police authorities provided reassurance to those within, that they could freely leave their work place.
Once the bulk of the staff had left, a few senior personnel remained within the complex. Those demonstrating had expressed the wish that they should be able to speak to a person in authority in the UN office, in order to convey their deeply felt reservations against the appointment of a Panel on Sri Lanka. The Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs was accordingly instructed to proceed to the UN complex, so that a very limited number of demonstrators could meet the senior staff and express their sentiments. Once this was accomplished, the remaining UN staff too left the complex.
The Government of Sri Lanka expects that the UN complex in Colombo would continue to function as normal in the days ahead. The Government understands that those who are demonstrating intend to continue with their protest, until the UN system revisits the matter of the Panel on Sri Lanka. At the same time, the freedom of entry and exit to and from the complex for authorized personnel will remain constant. |
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