Ganesan protests Kane's failure to meet Tamil, Muslim party leaders

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 12:31 GMT]
Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western People Front leader Mano Ganesan expressed his protest over the failure of United Nation's Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ms Angela Kane to meet with Tamil or Muslim party leaders during her week long visit to Sri Lanka. Ganesan said the visit, where she met only Sri Lanka Government officials, opposition party leaders, and the extremist JVP leaders, was a "one-sided affair" and "too political."

Full text of the press release follows:

"United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Angela Kane had a telephone discussion with Civil Monitoring Commission Convener and Western People Front leader Mano Ganesan MP immediately before she left the island. During the discussion Ms. Kane had expressed her regrets for not being able to meet Mano Ganesan for discussions and requested Ganesan send her a situation report.

"Whilst welcoming the visit of the United Nations ASG for political affairs Ms. Kane, CMC Convener Mano Ganesan MP made his strong feeling of disappointment and disapproval known to her. Ms. Kane had met the [Sri Lanka's] President, Leader of Opposition and Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe. We appreciate these meetings.

"We are also glad that ASG visited the East and held discussions with officials.

"Ganesan pointed out to the ASG, that in addition to these meetings she had also visited the office of JVP and held discussions with JVP leadership. We consider JVP an extremist party which is pushing the government towards war which is the direct cause for the issues of human rights violations and IDPs. Ganesan told Angela [Kane] that JVP is a minor party and not a minority political party.

"We fail to understand why the Colombo office of UN was not able to arrange meetings with the political leadership of the Tamil speaking people. The leaders of TNA and SLMC have not met Angela Kane.

"The United Nations has overlooked the Tamil and Muslim political leadership in the core issues of political solution, human rights violations and war and hence completed this visit as a one sided affair. This is unbelievable.

"Colombo UN officials initially made contacts with my office for meetings through e-mails and later withdrew for reasons better [known] to them. Therefore, we consider the visit of the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Angela Kane is too political.”

Chronology: