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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Sri Lanka: UN is to study MOD warning to NGOs

Farhan Haq
Farhan Haq The United Nations (UN) says it will study a warning issued by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) not to go beyond their mandate. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon, said that the UN will need to evaluate the warning and then make a statement. An MOD letter sent to NGOs notes that some of them conduct press conferences, workshops, training for journalists, and dissemination of press releases which is beyond their mandate. “We reiterate that all Non Governmental Organizations should prevent from such unauthorized activities with immediate effect,” the letter said.Some NGOs have raised concerns over the letter issued by the Ministry of Defence. (Colombo Gazette)