UNP, JVP on UN Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 June 2010, 07:20 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) one time an ally of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have expressed their concern over the appointment of the Panel of Experts appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon on Sri Lanka. Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake who is also in the race to become the president of the UNP told media Wednesday that his party is opposed to the appointment of Panel of Experts by UN SecretaryGeneral.

However, he said this kind of interference in Sri Lanka could have been averted if the UPFA government sorted out its internal issues.

Meanwhile, JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva said the failure of the UPFA government to better it human rights situation laid the groundwork for the appointment of UN Panel of Experts on Sri Lanka. The government has failed to build up its image internationally allowing the UN could interfere.

He added that while the war is going on within a country it is difficult to ensure no human rights violations.

However, he said that after the war the government has the opportunity to better its human rights record internationally.