The United Nations Under Secretary General Jean-Pierre Lacroix commended the "dedication" of Sri Lankan peacekeepers during a visit to Lebanon last month despite the military's record of human rights abuses both at home and abroad.
Lacroix said he had the "pleasure to witness firsthand the dedication of Sri Lankan peacekeepers" during a visit to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The praise comes despite the Sri Lankan military's long history of human rights abuses both on the island and during peacekeeping operations.
The Sri Lankan military stands accused of gross violations of international humanitarian law, including the shelling of hospitals, food distribution lines and other humanitarian objects killing over 100,00 Tamils in the final months of the armed conflict.
In 2007, 134 Sri Lankan peacekeepers were identified as being a part of a child sex ring in Haiti. They were accused of exchanging food and money for sex with girls and boys as young as 12. While most of the accused were repatriated, none of them have been criminally prosecuted.
The UN continues to deploy peacekeepers from Sri Lanka despite a legacy of grave human rights abuses.