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Ban warns Sri Lanka of new violence
Sydney Morning Herald - May 25, 2009
Matt Wade Herald Correspondent in Kandy, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka risks a return to violent conflict unless it quickly finds a political compromise that addresses the root causes of its long civil war, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has warned.
Mr Ban, the first high-level international visitor to Sri Lanka since it declared victory over Tamil Tiger rebels last week, inspected refugee camps in northern Sri Lanka and flew over the former war zone on Saturday.
"It was a very sobering visit – very sad and very moving," Mr Ban told journalists in the hill town of Kandy after visiting the camps. He then met the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and urged him to "initiate a political process of accommodation, dialogue and reconciliation" to prevent further sectarian conflict.
"If issues of reconciliation and social inclusion are not dealt with, history could repeat itself. There is danger of social disruption and even renewed violence," he said.
The prevalence of injuries among the civilians arriving in refugee camps over the past few days has highlighted the devastating human toll of the final days of the war. Aid agencies say a huge proportion of new camp arrivals are carrying war wounds. One aid worker told the Herald it was striking how many had bandages on their heads and limbs, consistent with shrapnel and bullet injuries.
These reports appear to contradict government claims that government troops were not responsible for civilian bloodshed during the army's final onslaught.
Refugees have reported they were shelled by both sides while trapped in the conflict zone.
An unofficial UN estimate puts the civilian death toll from fighting between mid-January and early May at more than 6500, prompting Western calls for an investigation into potential war crimes and humanitarian law violations by both sides.
But the Foreign Minister, Rohitha Bogollagama, said the Government had no plans for an investigation and that he was "absolutely" sure the army was not guilty of war crimes.
Mr Ban said many of the refugees he met had lost family members. "Many were sick or injured. Most have lost their homes, belongings and livelihoods."
Aid agencies complain that their work in camps holding more than 250,000 war refugees is being hampered by army-imposed security restrictions.
Mr Ban said the Government did not have the resources to deal with the crisis and pressed it to allow aid agencies unrestricted access to the camps.
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