Lanka criticises UN Special Advisers’ ‘prejudiced’ statement on violence

Colombo: Rohan Perera, Sri Lanka’s permanent representative to the United Nations, on Sunday, criticised two UN representatives for expressing alarm over the “growing acts of violence on the basis of religion,” particularly in the North Western Province of the country.
In a joint statement issued on May 13, Adama Dieng, UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Karen Smith, UN Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, cited growing instances of religion-based violence and called for an end to “hateful attacks” directed towards the country’s Muslim minority.
Responding to the statement, Perera said that while noting their concerns, “we were taken aback by your oversimplified narrative of events that are nuanced and complex in nature”, Colombo Page reported.
He said their prejudiced statement only serves to sensationalise issues at a time when the Sri Lankan government is taking stringent measures to maintain law and order and quell unrest in the interest of safety of all in the wake of Easter terror attacks on April 21 that targeted several high-end hotels and churches, killing more than 250 people across the country.
“It is quite insensitive and ill-conceived that you did not consider it important to share your concerns with the Sri Lankan government first, before going public with your statement. This would have also been in keeping with the key objectives of your respective mandates, i.e. to provide early warning and advocacy,” Perera said.
In the statement, the UN advisers stated that “it is in the interest of all ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka, as well as the Government, the opposition, civil society and the security sector, to work collaboratively in taking appropriate action and immediately stop these hateful attacks.” (ANI)