Sri Lanka can handle its own problems - China

China said Thursday it believes the Sri Lankan government and people are capable of handling their own problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a press conference in response to questions relating to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s recent appointment of members to a panel considering the recent conflict in Sri Lanka.

The Secretary-General has appointed “a Panel of Experts that will advise him on the issues of accountability with regards to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka,” said Martin Nesirky, spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General, June 22 (New York time).

“We have noticed the appointments,” said Qin.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa established the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in May.

This is to examine Sri Lanka’s long running separatist conflict that ended last year. Qin expressed China’s belief that Sri Lanka alone is capable of handling Sri Lanka’s problems.

China also hoped that the international community, including the UN Secretariat, will create a favorable external environment for Sri Lankan government to stabilize domestic situation, and to accelerate economic growth, said Qin. Sri Lanka’s government forces declared victory over the LTTE last year after a conflict that raged on and off for nearly three decades and resulted in the deaths of thousands.