Maldives rejects UN’s Sri Lankan war crime report: Naseem

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem has said that the Maldives does not support the United Nation (UN)’s Sri Lankan war crime report.

Responding to a question by the media on the UN Panel report on Sri Lanka’s accountability released last month, Minister Naseem noted that Sri Lanka was undergoing a sensitive process of entrenching peace and reconciliation in the country.

“The focus should now be on how the country can move forward. Sri Lanka is genuine in its wish to improve human rights for all, and the Maldives will fully support Sri Lanka’s efforts to engage constructively with the international human rights system. Thus, as we move forward with this engagement, we ask that key international partners give Sri Lanka space to take forward the steps that it needs to take.”

The Minister Naseem also said earlier that that Sri Lanka has been unnecessarily harassed by the report published by the panel of experts appointed by the UN Secretary General to look into accountability issues in Sri Lanka.

“We are deeply concerned about the report that has been brought out by the UN on Sri Lanka. We feel that its not really productive for Sri Lanka or for the people of Sri Lanka or the Sri Lankan descent. We feel that Sri Lanka is being condemned for getting rid of the terrorist organization in this country. We are very much with Sri Lanka on these issues. We feel Sri Lanka has been unnecessarily harassed on these issues,” said Minister Naseem earlier in a media briefing given in Colombo.