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STORY: UN / SRI LANKA
SOURCE: UNTV
TRT: 1.32
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS
DATELINE: 26 MAY 2009, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN building
26 MAY 2009, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, dais
3. Wide shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“The military part may be over; we do have the humanitarian, we do have the reconstruction part, but we also have the political reconciliation part which must move forward. This process I think is going to clearly take some time, and it will be basically a process that will be led without doubt by the Sri Lankan government. The real question is, is there ways for the outside world, the international community, to be helpful on this subject?”
5. Med shot, reporter
6. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“Obviously, whenever you have a conflict like this, this is a matter of great concern to people, to see who did what, when and how. We have said that we always, when there are serious charges made, it is the UN’s view is that these should be looked into. I think it is premature to say who, when, where, how will actually be doing the process.”
7. Med shot, reporter
8. SOUNDBITE (English) B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs:
“The government certainly is talking very much in moving that forward, and even in a plus version of it. The question is, normally as it is discussed, is this far enough? Does this get them into the areas of autonomy that would be satisfactory to the Tamil community?”
9. Wide shot, dais
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe briefed the press today (26 May) upon his return from Sri Lanka where he accompanied Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following the end of the long-running conflict between Sri Lankan troops and separatist rebels.
Pascoe told reporters that although the military part of the conflict is over, the Sri Lankan government must lead the humanitarian, reconstruction and political aspects of the recovery process, a process which he said “is going to clearly take some time”.
The international community must also play a role, he stressed.
The Under-Secretary -General said that “whenever you have a conflict like this” there are allegations of human rights violations and the “UN’s view is that these should be looked into”.
The LTTE has been accused of purposefully preventing civilians from leaving the conflict zone, forcibly conscripting people, and using civilians as human shields. For its part, the government reportedly utilized heavy weapons on the small and densely-populated area of conflict in Sri Lanka’s north.
Asked about the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution in which the government had agreed to devolve some authority to the provinces, Pascoe said that “the government certainly is talking very much in moving that forward” but questions remained on its implementation.
During his two-day visit to Sri Lanka, Secretary-General Ban discussed with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa how the UN will aid the government's continuing efforts to address future challenges and opportunities.
Ban also called on the international community to fund the Common Humanitarian Action Plan, or CHAP, launched by the Sri Lankan government and the UN, which seeks to meet the needs of those uprooted by the clashes.
