SLto rebuild democracy inTamil zone

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's government has pledged to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon that it will rebuild democracy in territory recaptured from Tamil Tiger rebels and reintegrate child soldiers conscripted into the rebel army before its defeat last week.

Ban said in a joint statement that the U.N. would continue providing humanitarian assistance to nearly 300,000 war-displaced Tamils in government-run camps. President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised to provide continued access for humanitarian agencies.

But it made no direct reference Ban's demand for unfettered access to the camps. The military has said it is limiting access to allow the army to screen the refugees for rebels who could be hiding among them.

The statement was released hours after Ban left late Saturday.