Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today rejected the resignation of his minister who is on a fast unto death outside the UN compound in Colombo.<br/><br/>Earlier in the day, Wimal Weerawansa the Housing minister in the Sri Lanka government today resigned his ministerial job stating that ‘if the cabinet post I held is an impediment to carry out my struggle, I would rather leave the cabinet than to abandon my struggle’. Today is his second day of the fast .<br/><br/>Demonstrators from Minister Weerawansa’s party have been protesting for the last four days against UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision to appoint an advisory panel on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. The protestrors not only raised anti UN slogans but also attempted to block the movement into the UN compound leading to clash with the police.<br/><br/>Later , the Sri Lankan government in a press statement said that Police authorities deployed adequate strength and remained vigilant, to ensure the safety of the UN complex and of the personnel within it.<br/><br/>The protest drew a sharp retort from the UN, which ordered the closing down of the UN development programme regional office in Colombo whilst summoning UN Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne for consultations.<br/><br/>Meanwhile Colombo has reacted sharply , to the UN assertions that the Sri Lanka authorities have failed to prevent the disruption of the normal functioning of the United Nations Offices in Colombo.<br/><br/>In a press statement issued a short while ago , the Ministry of External Affairs categorically emphasized that throughout the situation, the Government of Sri Lanka has looked after the safety of the United Nations premises. The demonstrations taking place outside have not resulted in harm to anyone. Access has continued to be afforded to the premises, through the facilitation of the movement of persons wishing to enter or exit.<br/><br/>It further said that the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Colombo was kept apprised of the efforts of the Government to ease the situation, while acting within the parameters of a democratic system wherein the right to peaceful demonstration remains a fundamental entitlement.<br/><br/>Given the above context, the Ministry of External Affairs believes the decision to close the UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo which at present serves to address a range of issues relevant to 34 nations of the Asia-Pacific region, to be disappointing.<br/><br/>At the same time, the Government of Sri Lanka is committed to dialogue as the way forward, as the avenue for the resolution of issues of this kind. The Ministry of External Affairs wishes therefore to reaffirm its intent to continue to be engaged with the United Nations system.