Ban says Alston acting independently

UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon distanced himself from the controversy arising over the Channel 4 video on Sri Lanka by telling reporters in New York that the UN special envoy on extra judicial killings Philip Alston, who released a report on it last week, is acting independently.

The UN Chief said he has seen the report by the special rapporteur of the Human Rights Council and also heard the statements made by the Sri Lankan government and the UN will review the situation and follow up on the issue.

“I have seen the report, and he is the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council. He is acting independently. You might have heard statements made by the Sri Lankan Government and his own personal one. We will review all these situations and we will what the United Nations can do to follow up on these issues. There are still many issues pending: the relocation of displaced persons in Sri Lanka by the end of this month, and the political reconciliation process and also the accountability process, which I have talked to President [Mahinda] Rajapaksa during my visit, to which he had agreed to take the necessary actions. I will continue to follow up on this issue,” the UN Chief told reporters.

Alston told reporters last week that three independent experts concluded that a videotape aired last August in Britain and showing the execution of suspected LTTE cadres allegedly by the Sri Lankan military is authentic.

The government however rejected the claims and slammed Alston for making public his findings saying he had breached diplomatic protocol. (Daily Mirror online)