Asia Pacific

B. Lynn Pascoe, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, visiting a government-run camp in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

UN political chief voices concern about displaced after wrapping up visit to Sri Lanka

18 September 2009
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in Government-run camps in Sri Lanka lack basic rights of freedom of movement, and the country is not making the expected progress towards a lasting peace in the wake of the end earlier this year to fighting between military forces and Tamil rebels, the United Nations political chief said today.

Ban sounds alarm on ‘reprehensible’ suicide attack in northwest Pakistan

18 September 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today’s “reprehensible” suicide car bomb attack, reportedly claiming more than 30 lives and injuring dozens of others, at a village market in north-western Pakistan.
Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar: Ban notes release of some political prisoners

18 September 2009
While noting the release of a certain number of political prisoners in Myanmar, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the authorities to free all those still detained, including opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to further national reconciliation and a democratic transition.
Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

Sri Lanka should permit impartial probe into alleged execution video – UN expert

17 September 2009
A United Nations human rights expert has called for an independent probe into the authenticity of a video of alleged extrajudicial executions by Sri Lankan soldiers, stating that the investigations carried out so far have not been impartial.
Young mother in Baran Hospital, Rajasthan, India (file photo)

Treaty linking women’s rights and development still vital after 15 years – UN

17 September 2009
The targets of a landmark global action plan, adopted 15 years ago, linking reproductive health, women’s rights and development remain an urgent priority today, top officials from 30 Asia-Pacific nations have concluded at a United Nations-backed gathering.
A large number of people were displaced after violence broke out in Kapilvastu District in September 2007

Two years after deadly rioting, UN awaits inquiry by Nepalese authorities

17 September 2009
The United Nations said today it is still waiting for thorough and impartial investigations into deadly rioting that broke out two years ago in the Nepalese district of Kapilvastu, which killed 14 people and displaced thousands.

Top UN maritime official applauds Iran for contribution in war against piracy

17 September 2009
The head of the United Nations maritime agency has praised Iran for its support of international efforts in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia, while prompting authorities to fulfil internationally agreed maritime anti-terrorism measures.
Clearing landmines near Elephant Pass, close to Jaffna in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, UN political chief visits camps for displaced

17 September 2009
The United Nations political chief travelled today to northern Sri Lanka to get a first-hand look at the situation of displaced civilians living in Government-run camps, and the status of preparations for their resettlement.

Ban welcomes proposal for international conference on Afghanistan

17 September 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed a joint proposal to hold a United Nations-led international conference on Afghanistan as he expressed concern about the country’s ongoing instability and insecurity despite large-scale assistance since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
The Peace doves are part of a campaign launched by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) [File Photo]

Doves take to the sky as UN family displays support for peace in Afghanistan

16 September 2009
The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan today joined colleagues in releasing 21 doves ahead of the International Day of Peace, an occasion which he stressed is particularly relevant for a country which has witnessed intensifying conflict over the past year.