COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed Saturday to a triumphant Sri Lankan government to "heal the wounds” from three decades of civil war with Tamil minority rebels and urged greater access to camps for the more than 300,000 people driven from their homes.
Ban was saluted by a military honor guard upon arrival in Sri Lanka for a 24-hour trip. He is the first major international figure to visit the country since President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared victory over the rebels earlier this week, crushing their dream of a separate state after more than a quarter-century of warfare.
The U.N. secretary-general asked the government to resolve the grievances of the Tamils and seek reconciliation.
Epidemics of chicken pox and skin diseases were sweeping through the biggest relief camp, Manik Farm, and hepatitis was a growing problem because of poor sanitation, the Oxfam aid agency said.
Ban said his first priority was the "unimpeded access” of U.N. agencies and humanitarian workers.
His second major goal, he said, is to seek the reunification of families and to help reintegrate a broken society. The U.N. secretary-general also said he wants to start a long-term "reconciliation through dialogue and grievances,” particularly of the Tamils and other minority groups, including Muslims.
What the U.N. chief sees and hears on his weekend visit also will be of concern to the U.N. Human Rights Council, which plans a special session on Sri Lanka on Monday at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
by the associated press
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