UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon raised the arrest of a defeated Sri Lankan opposition candidate with its president and expressed concern about events in the Asian nation, the United Nations said today.
In a telephone call on Tuesday night, Mr Ban also agreed with President Mahinda Rajapaksa that Lynn Pascoe, head of the UN political department, would visit the island soon after the presidential inauguration this month, a UN statement said.
Tensions have risen in Sri Lanka since former army commander Sarath Fonseka was arrested on Monday by military police on charges of engaging in politics against his president while still in uniform.
Mr Fonseka and Mr Rajapaksa worked together to end a 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists last year but soon fell out. Fonseka lost to Rajapaksa in a January presidential poll and then accused his former commander-in-chief of rigging the vote.
The UN statement said Mr Ban "expressed his concern [to Mr Rajapaksa] about recent developments in Sri Lanka," brought up Fonseka's arrest and "urged the government to respect the due process of law and guarantee [Mr Fonseka's] personal safety."
Mr Ban also pressed Mr Rajapaksa to keep a previous commitment to make proposals for a political solution of issues with the Tamil community in the north and ensure full accountability for any human rights violations.
More needed to be done to return people displaced by the fighting with the separatists to their places of origin, the UN chief said.
Human rights groups have accused Colombo of disregarding human life as the war ended, saying the Sri Lankan Army fired heavy artillery at a tiny strip of land where the Tigers had retreated along with hundreds of thousands of civilians.
The Sri Lankan government has rejected the charges.
Mr Ban visited Sri Lanka shortly after the end of the conflict last May, but some human rights advocates charged that the visit appeared to be endorsing the government's victory.
Sri Lankan police today used tear gas to disperse government supporters and thousands of opposition protesters demonstrating against the arrest of the losing presidential candidate.
At least eight people were injured when opposition and ruling party supporters clashed at a protest outside the island nation's Supreme Court, officials said."We came here to do a peaceful protest against the arrest of General (Fonseka), but government thugs attacked us," said a supporter of Mr Fonseka.
"They stoned us and attacked with clubs and even threw glass bottles at us in front of these police force," she said, pointing at riot police.
Police were not available for comment while a nurse at the main hospital said eight people were being treated for injuries.
Reuters