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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday expressed concerns about the lack of progress on political reconciliation, the treatment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the setting up of an accountability process in Sri Lanka since the United Nations signed a joint statement with the Government last year in the wake of the end of its civil war with separatist Tamil rebels.

Mr. Ban told reporters that he had “a frank and honest exchange of views” last Thursday about these subjects

during a telephone conversation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, where the runner-up candidate in January's presidential elections, General Sarath Fonseka, was subsequently arrested for alleged "military offences" and the parliament was dissolved.

The Secretary-General and UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay have both voiced concern about the situation in the island nation, and Mr. Ban said last month that Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe would soon head to Sri Lanka for talks with senior Government officials.

Speaking at the UN Headquarters, Mr. Ban said he was "concerned with the lack of progress of the joint statement," particularly political reconciliation, the condition of IDPs and the need for an accountability process.

"I made clear to President Rajapaksa that I intend to move forward on a group of experts which will advise me on setting the broad parameters and standards on the way ahead on establishing accountability concerning Sri Lanka," Mr. Ban said.

That accountability concerns possible breaches of international humanitarian law or abuses of human rights carried out during the conflict.