UN panel is an opportunity for Sri Lanka to hold an accountable process ' US

The United States Thursday said the expert panel appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to advise him on Sri Lanka's alleged human right violations is an opportunity for Sri Lanka to hold an accountable process and Sri Lanka should take advantage of the experts panel.



Responding to media queries on the indefinite hunger strike launched by a Sri Lankan cabinet minister outside the UN office in Colombo, acting deputy spokesman of the State Department Mark Toner reiterated the US stance of supporting the panel.

"We feel like it's in Sri Lanka's best interest to accept these people and their expert advice and that's offered in good faith," Toner said.

The spokesman said he cannot speak for the UN and resolving the ongoing confrontation between the UN and Sri Lanka is a matter for the parties involved.

"But in terms of the UN group, we support their involvement," he said.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday recalled its Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka Neil Buhne to New York for consultations and announced that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Sri Lankan government has failed to resolve the issue.

The UN chief has insisted that the panel appointed by him to probe the alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian laws during the late stages of the war with Tamil Tigers is an advisory panel and not adversarial in nature.