UN recalls envoy from Lanka

The United Nations on Thursday recalled its top envoy to Sri Lanka and closed down an office in Colombo following angry protests against a U.N. panel which was set up to probe allegations of war crime during the country’s civil war.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has slammed as “unacceptable” the failure of the Sri Lankan government to facilitate the normal working of the U.N. offices.

“The Secretary-General finds it unacceptable that the Sri Lankan authorities have failed to prevent the disruption of the normal functioning of the United Nations offices in Colombo as a result of unruly protests organised and led by a Cabinet Minister of the Government,” Farhan Haq, Associate Spokesperson, told journalists.


Mr. Ban has recalled the United Nations resident coordinator Neil Buhne to New York for consultations and has also decided to close the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional centre in Colombo.

“The Secretary-General calls upon the government of Sri Lanka to live up to its responsibilities towards the United Nations as host country, so as to ensure continuation of the vital work of the organisation to assist the people of Sri Lanka without any further hindrance,” he said.