LOC15:14
12:14 GMT
PARIS, June 22 (KUNA) -- France, a permanent member of the UN Security
Council, condemned on Monday the reported arrest of two staff members of the
United Nations working in Sri Lanka who were detained by security authorities
there.
"We condemn the arrest announced by the United Nations of two of its agents
by the Sri Lankan authorities," a French Foreign Ministry statement said.
"We support the demand expressed by the United Nations to obtain all
necessary information on these arrests," it was added.
The United Nations has been openly critical of the treatment of Tamil
refugees who are being held in military camps after the defeat last month of
the LTTE Tamil Tiger rebels by the Sri Lankan army.
The Tamil refugees seem destined to spend a long period in detention and UN
and other humanitarian bodies have urged more be done to allow them to return
to some form of normality.
"The agents of the United Nations must be able to exercise their missions
without hindrance," the French statement concluded. (end)
jk.ema
KUNA 221514 Jun 09NNNN