Global General

Sri Lankans stage protest outside UN office

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-06 14:44

COLOMBO - A large crowd gathered outside the UN office in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo Tuesday morning to stage a protest against UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision to appoint an expert panel on Sri Lanka' alleged war crimes in the island's civil war that ended last year.

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Eyewitnesses said around 1,000 protestors were outside the UN office in downtown Colombo and tried to enter into the premises.

Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa was leading the protest.

Weerawansa has urged the public to surround the UN office in Colombo and prevent the staff from leaving the premises until a decision is taken by Ban to dissolve the UN panel.

However, the Sri Lankan government has assured the UN that the comments made by Weerawansa was his individual opinion and did not reflect the policy of the government.