United Nations Radio

Tamil woman squats near food line

For the past three months, civilians in the north-eastern part of Sri Lanka have been under siege, caught in the crossfire between the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, the LTTE. Also known as the Tamil Tigers, the LTTE has actually been fighting the Government for some 25 years, claiming discrimination by successive administrations and demanding a separate state of their own.  As of the middle of May, the fighting has officially come to an end. 

Can northeast Asia agree to a nuclear weapons ban?

Ji-Hyun Lee

As parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty, the NPT, met in New York recently to prepare for a review of the treaty next year, Japanese and South Korean civil society and peace activists rallied behind the establishment of a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Northeast Asia as a means to achieve peace and stability in the region. However, this concept is not without its challenges. UN Radio's Jocelyne Sambira spoke to Ji Hyun Lee, a program officer at the Nautilus Institute in South Korea.

The most important day of the year in Buddhism is celebrated at the UN

Buddha depiction

On May 15th, the United Nations observed Vesak Day, which marks the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha. The Day was a celebration of music, chanting and declarations. A number of countries with substantial Buddhist populations as well as UN chief Ban Ki-moon took part.

Producer: Gerry Adams
Duration: 14'00"