New York, 19 December, (Asiantribune.com): Radhika Coomaraswamy, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, has replied denying the statement made by World Alliance of Peace in Sri Lanka, SPUR and Sri Lankans Expatriates Organization in America. The statements of these organizations were published in the "Asain Tribune" of 18 December.
In her denial she says that she did not go to Sri Lanka for investigation, because of the conflict of interests as she is a Sri Lankan national. She added that she sent Ambassador Allan Rock with the approval of Kofi Annan UN Secretary General and by the Sri Lanka’s President himself.
The full text of Radhika Coomaraswamy’s statement to "Asian Tribune" is given below:
"I see your website carries a story from the Australian association- just a factual correction.
"In all other seven countries mentioned in the article, I carry the investigations out myself- I am traveling to Sudan, DRC, Burundi etc...
"I sent Ambassador Rock to Sri Lanka because of a conflict of interest and because I am a Sri Lankan.
"You must remember that Ambassador Rock was the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and that he was Chair of the friends group of the Children and Armed Conflict cluster.
"My sending him to Sri Lanka was approved by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, by the Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown, by the Sri Lankan mission here, by the foreign ministry and by the President himself.
"If they had any objections they could have told me- I gave them notice in july and he finally went only in November.
"Secondly, there is no question of my reappointment- my appointment goes on till 2008.
"Also UNICEF reports that Karuna is really co-operating in the field, so thank you for that.
-Regards
Radhika Coomaraswamy
18 December, 2006
- Asian Tribune -
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