On Sri Lanka, As UN's Ban Speaks of IDPs' Comfort, UN Dismissive of Abductions

By Matthew Russell Lee
July 29, 2009
The Inner City Press
Original Source: 
http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip6may5srilanka072909.html
UNITED NATIONS, July 29 -- While UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had said he would closely monitor Sri Lanka's compliance with the commitments made http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip2may5srilanka052409.html while he was there in May, for example to release by the end of the year 80% of the 280,000 Tamils it has detained, and to end impunity, the UN and Mr. Ban have had little to http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip6may4srilanka071509.html nothing to say on these topics in last two weeks. 
  
  Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has http://www.innercitypress.com/imf8srilanka072509.html reduced the 80% commitment to a 60% target, and his government has disbanded a commission of inquiry into killings, including of 17 aid workers from Action Contre La Faim, unilaterally declaring itself exonerated. Tellingly, http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip6may3srilanka071409.html two UN system staff members who were disappeared in white vans by the government say they were tortured while in government detention.
  On July 29, at what appears to be Ban's press availability before he goes on summer vacation in South Korea, his spokesperson Michele Montas gave questions to 15 journalists. While several were repetitive, none was on Sri Lanka. At the conclusion of the press conference, as Ms. Montas declared it over, Inner City Press http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1313 asked what follow-up have you made on the commitments of the joint statement that you received from [President] Rajapaksa? 
  Referring to written notes, Ban stated that he had raised the issue with Chinese officials during his recent four day trip there, and that he spoke about Sri Lanka with India's Prime Minister during the G-8 meeting in Italy. As to what Ban said to President Rajapakse, rather than the release of detained people, he emphasized that the conditions in the detention camps should be improved. He did not mention the UN staff who were abducted and they say tortured. Video http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressconference/2009/pc090729am.rm?start=00:44:28 here, from Minute 44:28.
   Ban's answer was clearly scripted. Therefore we report on some of the recent comments of one of Ban's advisors, which more candidly reflect the UN's views on Sri Lanka. This official told Inner City Press for example that the http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip4may9srilanka061709.html UN is not concerned with what the Tamil diaspora says -- they left when the going was good, he said. The official argued that Ban has, in fact, stood up to the Rajapakses during his http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip2may4srilanka052309.html meeting with them in Kandy. He said, 'Please don't interrupt me,' and you don't say that to a president.
   But the reason for not raising the issue of the detained UN staff, it appears, is the http://www.innercitypress.com/untrip5may8srilanka062609.html position that they do not have immunity. If they work for us nine to five and then for the LTTE, the official said dismissive, if they need to be hauled up for questioning, the UN can't tell the government you can't do that.
   Inner City Press said, but the government threw them into a white van.
   They don't need to ask your permission to paint their van, the UN official told Inner City Press.

  He went on to argue that there are double standards everywhere. Iraq -- who said anything? Or about China? Now there is noise about human rights.
The UN official was openly skeptical of the number of civilians killed. There are sixty million Tamils in Tamil Nadu, he said. If they are not agitated there must be some reason. If 20,000 people died, do you think Tamil Nadu would not be agitated? In 1983, there were reports of a a major killing of Tamils... Mrs. Gandhi sent a message overnight that it must stop, and it did. She didn't get the information from the RAW, but from Tamil Nadu politicians, they have family there.
   Strangely, this UN official who said the UN should not listen to the Tamil diaspora based his argument to dismiss the UN's own casualty figures on what he call the lack of agitation in Tamil Nadu. It reflects how this UN has been making and will continue to make its decisions. Watch this site.
From the http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1313 July 29, 2009 transcript:
Inner City Press: What follow-up have you made on the commitments of the joint statement that you received from [Sri Lankan President Mahinda] Rajapaksa?
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: In the margins of the Non-Aligned Meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, I had a bilateral meeting with President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka. There again, we reviewed what we had discussed during my visit [to Sri Lanka], and I urged him to take the necessary measures, first of all, to improve the conditions of IDP [internally displaced persons] camps, so that they can have freer movement. And, as far as the freedom of movement of the humanitarian workers, I think we have ensured that freedom. And there needs to be more freedom for those people living in camps – their living conditions should be improved. And I also strongly urged him to reach out to minority groups, like the Tamils, and to take the necessary measures to look for this accountability process. Those are three points on which I have strongly urged him, and he committed to me that he will abide by all pledges that he made during my visit. 

  And I had an opportunity of discussing this matter with some key players, like China and India, during my visit to China. And during the time of the G-8 Summit Meeting, I had a talk with the Indian Prime Minister, so that they could do all that they can. I have also discussed with the Japanese Prime Minister and many other world leaders on these issues. I am going to continue.
   So are we, going to continue. Watch this site.