Ban-Ki-Moon Turndown the Delay of War Crimes Report

Sri Lanka's foreign minister met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, and UN diplomatic sources said he pressed his government's desire to delay the release of a UN report on war crimes during Sri Lanka's civil war.

UN diplomatic sources told Reuters that the Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera raised the issue behind closed door discussion with Ban-Ki-Moon on Friday, stressing the importance of a delay. According to sources, for his part Ban-Ki-Moon has made it clear that this issue which relates to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and pertains to the UNHRC Commissioner's purview. But, however there is no official news release of the U.N. with regard to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister’s request with regard to the delay in releasing the War Crimes Report. Diplomats say that Mangala Samaraweera has used his trip to the United States to persuade US and UN officials of the importance of delaying the report.