International   

Bid to lay siege to U.N. office in Colombo

COLOMBO: Causing serious embarrassment to the government, hundreds of political workers led by a senior Minister on Tuesday clashed with police here as they attempted to lay siege to the U.N. office in protest against the recent decision of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a three-member panel to advise him on Sri Lanka.

The protest led by leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF) and Engineering Services and Construction Minister Wimal Weerawansa took an ugly turn as his supporters attempted to barge into the U.N. compound. A few persons including police officials were injured.

The government has taken exception to the appointment of the panel by Mr. Ban on accountability issues including the charges of human rights violations in the last phase of the war between the security forces and the LTTE which ended in May last.

Mr. Weerawansa is the leader of a breakaway faction of the ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). The government had disassociated itself from his move.

The demonstrators shouted “Hands off U.N.!” As the police swung into action, the Minister threatened to launch a fast unto death till the police are withdrawn from the scene.

Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe rushed to the scene and secured an assurance from the protesters that the movement of the U.N. staff would not be hindered.

The Minister's supporters continue to sit on fast unto death outside the U.N. office at the time of filing of this report.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Sarkozy linked to L'Oreal scandal
Israeli soldier faces manslaughter charges
Probe into torture charges against MI5
BP deploys A-Whale to skim off oil
Bid to lay siege to U.N. office in Colombo
More powers for Australian consuls
Disarmament panel concerned at exemption for India
W.S. Merwin is America's new poet laureate
Philippine apex court gets on Facebook, Twitter
Money laundering, literally

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu