Ban voices concern over developments

UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his concerns about recent developments in Sri Lanka to its leader, and announced plans to dispatch his top political official to the island nation for further dialogue.
The UN chief spoke by telephone Wednesday with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, according to a spokesperson for the Secretary-General, and urged him to respect due process of law regarding the arrest of General Sarath Fonseka, the former army chief and runner-up in recent presidential elections.
Ban called on the Government in Colombo to guarantee the personal safety of Fonseka, who was arrested on Monday for alleged military offences. Fonseka won about 40 per cent of the overall vote in the presidential race on 27 January.
The spokesperson said the Secretary-General also urged Rajapaksa to keep his commitment, set out in a joint statement with the UN last year, to ensure concrete proposals for a political solution of issues with the Tamil community in the north and to ensure full accountability for any crimes against international humanitarian law or abuses of human rights.
In May last year Government forces in Sri Lanka defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), ending a civil war that had lasted more than two decades. Hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians were then housed in camps.
Ban took note of the progress in returning displaced persons to their places of origin, but added that more needs to be done in this regard.
Saying he looked forward to further dialogue between the UN and the Sri Lankan Government, Ban said he would send Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe to Colombo for talks soon after the presidential inauguration scheduled for later this month.
Sri Lanka arrest sparks more clashes
Government supporters and thousands of opposition activists have clashed in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. At least eight people were hurt in the violence near the Supreme Court, officials said. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds. The opposition is angry at the arrest of losing presidential candidate, Gen Sarath Fonseka, on Monday night.
He is to be court-martialled for working with anti-government forces, officials say. He denies the charges. The protests came a day after President Mahinda Rajapaksa dissolved parliament, paving the way for elections by April.
Correspondents say he hopes to capitalise on his comfortable win against the former army chief in the January poll. The opposition rally near the Supreme Court is the second mass demonstration to be held in the capital in the space of a week.
The BBCs Charles Haviland in Colombo says opposition activists ran away and then returned attacking in their turn - whereupon the police used tear gas to drive people away.
Fonseka supporters said government thugs had attacked a peaceful protest.
They stoned us and attacked with clubs and even threw glass bottles at us in front of the police, one woman told Reuters news agency.
Earlier, Gen Fonsekas wife, Anoma, was allowed to visit him in detention at navy headquarters.
She has now filed a petition at the Supreme Court claiming his arrest is illegal. It will be heard on Friday.
Mrs Fonseka has named as respondents the defence secretary, the new army chief and the senior officer present on Monday night when her husband was forcibly dragged into detention, our correspondent says.