Sri Lankan government has strongly opposed the appointment of the Expert Panel by the UN Secretary General in New York on Tuesday and has dubbed the move as ‘unwarranted and an unnecessary interference with a sovereign nation’.<br/><br/>A statement released by the External Affairs Ministry in Colombo today said that this interference, moreover, has potential for exploitation by vested interests hostile to the process of reconciliation taking place in Sri Lanka.<br/><br/>UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday appointed a panel of experts to advise him on accountability issues relating to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka that ended last year.<br/><br/>The statement by the foreign ministry reiterated that ‘Sri Lanka is a sovereign state with a robustly independent judiciary and a tried and tested system for the administration of justice. The Government of Sri Lanka has consistently promoted and protected human rights. Indeed, this has been explicitly acknowledged by legitimate organs of the United Nations system. <br/><br/>The Human Rights Council of the United Nations has formally adopted, after the cessation of the conflict situation, a resolution commending, inter alia, the commitment of Sri Lanka to the promotion and protection of human rights’.<br/><br/>The statement further said that Sri Lanka was ravaged by the scourge of terrorism for over 30 years and the people of Sri Lanka have, during this period, suffered violence and terror of unimaginable proportions, unleashed on them by the LTTE.<br/><br/>It added that after a long and difficult struggle the Government of Sri Lanka has successfully rid the country of terror, and is in the process of rebuilding the lives of her people.<br/><br/>’As an important part of this process, the President of Sri Lanka has appointed a Commission on ‘Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation’ under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, a statutory regime available under Sri Lankan law. The Government is confident that the Commission would make a most significant contribution to the further strengthening of national amity, through a process of restorative justice,’ the statement said.<br/><br/>The Government of Sri Lanka notes that the joint statement of the President of Sri Lanka and the Secretary – General issued at the conclusion of the Secretary – General’s visit to the country on 23rd May 2009 makes no reference to ‘allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed during military operations between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE.’