Foreign Minister summons Acting UN Resident Coordinator    
[Tuesday, May 08, 2007 - 7.00 GMT] 

 
Foreign Affairs Minister Rohitha Bogollagama yesterday (7) summoned the Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sri Lanka and Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-coordinator Jeff Taft Dick and told him that the Government was concerned about the abduction and detention of two UN staff members by the LTTE but the failure on the part of the UN to bring it to the notice of the Foreign Ministry until 27 April 2007, was unacceptable.
  
The Minister also expressed concern about the reference in the UN statement to this 'abduction' as an 'arrest', which could be perceived as an attempt by the UN authorities in Sri Lanka to shield the LTTE criminal actions.
  
A press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 7 said:
  
Mr. Jeff Taft Dick, Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sri Lanka and Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-coordinator was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, 7 May 2007 by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
  
The Minister while expressing Jeff Taft Dick brought it to the notice of the Acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator that the failure on the part of the UN to bring it to the notice of the Foreign Ministry until 27 April 2007 was unacceptable. He said this failure by the UN Office in Sri Lanka made the Government unable to discharge its obligations under the 1994 UN Convention on the Safety of the UN and Associated Personnel, to which Sri Lanka is a Party. He added that further, Sri Lanka was surprised to note that the abduction and detention of these persons had not been brought to the notice of the UN Secretary General, judging by statements made by Secretary-General's spokesperson in New York an 20 April 2007.
    
The Minister who noted that the Government was also concerned by the reference in the UN statement to this 'abduction' as an 'arrest', said the circumstances relating to this incident could be perceived as an attempt by the UN authorities in Sri Lanka to shield the LTTE criminal actions.
    
The Minister said since the continued abduction of one of the UN staff was officially reported to the Government on the 27 April 2007, the concerned authorities will proceed to take action on this matter.
  
The acting UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator stated that of the two staff members, one had already been released and that S P Thamilchelvan, Head of the Political Wing of the LTTE had agreed that the matter relating to the other, would be reviewed further. He said the use of terminology of 'arrest' was a mistake, and that the United Nations classified this as abduction. He said that he would convey the concerns of the Sri Lanka Government to the UN.

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Last Updated Date: May 08, 2007 - 7.00 GMT