UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- As Sri Lanka's minister of housing called for UN staff to be held hostage until any war crimes inquiry is stopped, the UN in New York made excuses for the threat. Inner City Press asked about Minister Wimal Weerawansa's call for “to surround the UN office in Sri Lanka and trap the staff inside until a decision is taken by the UN Secretary General to dissolve the panel he appointed on Sri Lanka.”
Rather than condemn this call, as it would in Sudan or elsewhere, UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq first told the Press that perhaps the minister had not been “quoted correctly.” Video here, from Minute 10:46.
Next, Mr. Haq said that the Rajapaksa administration had assured that Weerawansa's call was an “individual position.” Inner City Press asked how the UN distinguished between the position of the Sri Lankan government, which has already said it will deny visas to the panel, and that of a government minister. Video here, from Minute 11:59.
The UN House, Haq said, has not reported any mobilization. Who received the assurance? The UN resident coordinator. But isn't he, Neil Buhne, the one who stayed quiet while two UN system staff members were imprisoned and tortured, they said, by the government last year?
Later on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked a very senior UN official about Sri Lanka's threat. This justification was more telling: according to the UN official, Weerawansa's call was really for GANDHIAN civil disobedience, not violence. So the Sri Lankan government is to be praised, then.
UN's Ban and Mahinda Rajapaksa, response to threat to UN staff not shown
Inner City Press asked Haq if the terms of reference of the panel, the preparation of which was offered as an excuse for the 90 day delay between announcing and forming the panel, will be released to the public. No, Haq said, it is an advisory body, not a body outside its advisory function. Video here, from Minute 15:52.
In a new development Haq said that perhaps the panel will not even conclude with a written report. Some terms of reference. Some defense of UN staff. Watch this site.
Sri Lanka Block of Visas Unfortunate, Darusman Says, UN Says Visit Not Needed, How Panel Staffed Is Unclear
UNITED NATIONS, June 25 -- The UN panel on war crimes in Sri Lanka does not need to go to that country, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman has said. But the chairman of the panel, Marsuki Darusman, has now called Sri Lanka's decision to deny him and his two panel-mates visas “highly unfortunate” and a barrier to finding out the truth.
Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban agrees that the denial of visas to the UN panel is unfortunate. Nesirky would not answer, but rather emphasized again that going is “not necessary... not required.” Video here, from Minute 22:24.
To some it seems that Mr. Ban is back to accommodating Sri Lanka. If a country like Sudan were to deny visas, the UN would condemn it. But because Sri Lanka has blustered every move, Ban is undercutting the panel and its chairman.
Darusman ("unfortunate") at left, Nesirky ("not needed") at right
Inner City Press asked when the three panel members will meet, which will start ticking the four months until their report is due. In the coming month, Nesirky said, in July.
How will the panel be staffed? Nesirky said that these “finer points” have yet to be worked out. This is hard to understand, given that it was back on March 5 that Ban said he would appoint the panel “without delay.” What has the UN been doing? Watch this site.
From the UN's June 25 transcript:
Inner City Press: Did Mr. Darusman, who is the Chair of the Sri Lanka Panel, has been quoted that, of Sri Lanka’s decision to deny him and the other two visas, that the decision is unfortunate, which seems to imply that he wanted to go there, there would be some benefit to going there in terms of carrying out the work of the Panel. So when he said that is he, I guess… what does the UN say that the Chairman of the Panel sees a need to go? You know, yesterday you said, well, they don’t need to go there. Well, the head of the… You didn’t say it that way… I don’t mean to [inaudible]
Spokesperson: No, I didn’t, Matthew, so it’s good if you’re going to paraphrase me to do it accurately. Basically what I said was that it is not necessary for them, it is not a requirement that they go to Sri Lanka. It is not a requirement, and we did talk about how, if they need to be in touch with concerned officials, that they can do, short of actually going to Sri Lanka. I also said, if I remember correctly, that once those three Panel members get together — which they have yet to do — once they do, they will be able to decide for themselves to what extent to be able to do the job the Secretary-General has asked them to do to advise him; they will be able to decide whether they do need to go to Sri Lanka or not. And if they do, then they will ask. But it’s not a requirement for them to be able to do that or to do it.
Inner City Press: Sure, and I’m sorry, and I didn’t mean to — maybe the tone of the voice was wrong. But my question was just, does the Secretary-General agree that it’s unfortunate?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I think what’s important here is simply to be very clear, that this is an Advisory Panel to advise the Secretary-General. It’s not an inquiry, an investigation that’s directed against Sri Lanka. It is not. What it is, is to advise the Secretary-General. And as such, visits are not required. Okay.
Inner City Press: you said they haven’t gotten together yet. Is there any idea of… Just two things; when they actually will get together to start this four-month timeframe running, and also how their work will be staffed. How many staff members will there be? Will there be a recruitment process that will slow down the beginning, or is there already provisions for who, how the group will be staffed?
Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, my understanding is that the three of them will be getting together relatively soon, within the coming month. In other words, in July — I’m not exactly sure at what point. As to the support that they receive, that will come through the Secretariat, and that’s something that still needs to be worked out, the finer points of that.
As Sri Lanka Says No Visas, UN Says No Need to Visit or Talk to Witnesses
UNITED NATIONS, June 24 -- The government of Sri Lanka has said it will deny visas to members of the UN panel of experts to advise Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on alleged war crimes in the final stage of that country's civil war. Inner City Press asked Mr. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky for Ban's response to being thus rebuffed. Video here, from Minute 19:42.
“It's not a question of speaking to witness,” Nesirky said, emphasizing twice that it is “not an investigation, not an inquiry, not a probe.” The obvious question is, why not? More than a year after thousands of civilians were killed, the UN is only now convening three individuals to advise Ban on what he might do.
Inner City Press is told that the panel will have staff, to be based in New York. Meanwhile in Sri Lanka, the government is said to be setting up some protests to be held in front of the UN in Colombo. If Sudan were to do this, the UN would denounce it. But here?
UN's Ban & GL Peiris, visa for UN panel not shown
Russia has chimed in, as it did during the conflict, calling the slaughter entirely an “internal matter.” As one wag put it, “They should know.”
Footnotes: The "no visas" announcement was made by External Affairs minister GL Peiris, who twice rebuffed the Press while in the US lobbying against the UN panel. Then, Hillary Clinton stood by Peiris. And now?
The Sri Lankan Mission to the UN put out the foreign ministry's statement, a day late and in an unwieldy format. The Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona is still apparently not back in New York. Sri Lanka has thumbed its nose at GSP Plus as well. What will happen with the IMF? Watch this site.
Sri Lanka Spin on S. Africa and ASEAN Played Role in UN Panel, Khmer Rouge Rajapaksa
UNITED NATIONS, June 23 -- In the wake of the UN belated disclosing the identities of the three members of its advisory panel on Sri Lanka war crimes, names that Inner City Press exclusively reported 25 hours before, on the evening of January 22 the politics behind the appointments were made clear to the Press.
Sri Lanka argued that its self investigation would be like South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Fine, then: Yasmin Sooka of that Commission was included on the panel, at the suggestion of South African advisor to Ban Ki-moon Nicholas Hayson.
Sri Lanka fashions itself not just South Asian but ASEAN writ large. So Marzuki Darusman of Indonesia was included. Indonesia is ASEAN's bridge, on Myanmar and now Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless it was reported
A senior Sri Lankan official said appointing former Indonesian attorney general Marzuki Darusman as the head of the panel was “unfair” as he has been involved in the island before and has had disagreements with local authorities.
Mr. Darusman was a member of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) which quit observing human rights investigations in Sri Lanka in April 2008 after clashing with the local administration. 'In that context, having this Indonesian in the panel could lead to a serious conflict of interest,' the official who declined to be named said. He added that the government may come up with a formal response later.
Sri Lanka being so unprepared to fire back had no excuse. Inner City Press is informed that the Rajapaksa administration was informed in advance of the terms of reference.
UN's Ban commits to Khmer court, Sri Lanka not yet shown
Its Permanent Representative to the UN was for some reason out of town, despite Lynn Pascoe's advance notice. One wag wondered, what do they say about rats leaving a sinking ship?
The inclusion of an American, Michael Ratner, most enraged the Rajapaksas. They need not worry so much: while this Ratner worked on the UN's hybrid Cambodia court, justice there is slow and seeded with corruption. And the UN's top legal officer refused to take questions from the Press on it.
The panel will be staffed, and meet in New York “in coming days.” We'll be there - watch this site.
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UNITED NATIONS, June 21 -- On Sri Lanka war crimes, sources tell Inner City Press that the three names including not only former Indonesian attorney general Darusman but also American lawyer Steven Ratner, and South Africa's Yasmin Sooka, who served on that country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who was proposed by Ban advisor Nicholas Haysom, also of South Africa.
According to these well placed sources, and contrary to unsourced reports in the Colombo press, there will be no Austrian on the panel.
After his widely criticized "victory tour" to Sri Lanka last May, during which interned Tamil children were forced to sing for him in the Vuvuniya camp, surrounded by barbed wire, Ban has hounded by calls to follow through on his and Mahinda Rajapaksa's statement at the end of the trip.
On March 5, Ban said he would name a panel to advise him "without delay." Now, belated, he is slated to name the panel this week.
Sri Lanka's banner of UN Ban, with gun, Vavuniya camps
Sri Lanka is lashing out in advance, even as their ambassador to the UN Palitha Kohona chairs an international investigation panel about the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Can you say, hypocrisy?
Kohona has also been named by Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar as having provided assurances that surrendering LTTE leaders would be treated in accordance with international law -- before they were killed. Kohona disputes the timing of his communications with Nambiar. Watch this site.
Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate
Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate
Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards
and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.
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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here
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