UN closes Sri Lanka office over handling of protests

UNITED Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is closing the UN office in Sri Lanka and temporarily recalling its head official there because of the government's handling of protests aimed at the world body, it was announced last night.

UN associate spokesman Farhan Haq said Mr Ban found it "unacceptable" that Sri Lankan authorities failed to prevent the office from being disrupted by "unruly protests organised and led by a cabinet minister".

The UN's resident co-ordinator is being recalled to New York for "consultations" until normal operations can be restored at the UN development programme's centre in Colombo.

The country's housing minister, Wimal Weerawansa, led a hunger strike yesterday and protests earlier that trapped UN employees inside the centre.

The protests are over the UN's refusal to stop investigating alleged human rights abuses during the country's civil war.