Sri Lankan diplomat Shavendra Silva barred from the UN advisory panel

Sri Lanka's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations in New York has been dropped from a panel appointed to advise the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on UN peacekeeping operations. UN ambassador and former Sri Lankan Army Major General Shavendra Silva has been barred from the panel which is to set payments to countries that contribute troops to UN missions for peacekeeping.
The Chair of the panel, former U.N. deputy secretary-general Louise Frechette has said in a statement Wednesday that "Following careful consideration and consultation with other SAG members, the chair, Louise Frechette, has advised Major General Shavendra Silva of Sri Lanka, that his participation is not appropriate or helpful for the purposes of this group." "He will not participate in its (group's) deliberations," Frechette's statement said but did not give a reason. Major General Silva was the commander of the Sri Lanka Army's Division 58 during the battles to clear the north of the LTTE and was instrumental in the military capturing several former LTTE strongholds. His appointment to the advisory panel by the Asia-Pacific countries has raised concerns among the human right organizations which accuse the Major General Silva of human right violations. Right groups relentlessly protested Silva's nomination to the advisory group. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has said that Major General Silva's appointment to a UN advisory panel is a "matter of concern" and has addressed a letter of concern to the Secretary-General about his appointment.