Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unsc5srilanka022009.html
UNITED NATIONS, February 20 -- As the UN's top humanitarian John Holmes continues his government-controlled visit to Sri Lanka, at the UN in New York the Ambassadors of France and the UK expressed concern, and former Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson told Inner City Press that the killing of civilians there, including by the government, is "shocking."
Outside a Security Council meeting about Myanmar on Friday morning, Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador John Sawers for the second time if the UK is calling for a briefing on Sri Lanka in the Council. Sawers replied that the UK "supports a briefing of the Security Council on John Holmes return." Video here, from Minute 7:07.
But at the UN's noon briefing an hour later, Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Michele Montas said that Holmes will be traveling to Colombia immediately after his trip to Sri Lanka. Inner City Press asked Ms. Montas about the reported plane-bombing of Colombo by the Tamil Tigers. "John Holmes is there," she said, "he is better able than anyone to answer." But, conveniently, he will not be available to the Security Council after his trip. When Inner City Press asked about this, Ms Montas said she would try to make him available to talk "between trips, or before another trip." Video here, from Minute 15:03.
Mary Robinson, at the UN for an event on social justice, took questions at a press conference on Friday afternoon. Inner City Press asked for her views, as former High Commissioner on Human Rights, of the current situation in Sri Lanka. Video here, from Minute 43:30. She analogized it to Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, saying "we diminish the value of life... if we don't question the disproportionate use of force." Video here, from Minute 45:52. This last is a phrase much used in the UN during Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip in an attempt to attack Hamas.
Inner City Press asked Ms. Robinson to explain why not only Gaza, but Darfur and the DRC, are on the Security Council's agenda, and received cease fire calls from Ban Ki-moon. Ms. Robinson answered that that it appears that Sri Lanka's government was convincing that it was on the verge of victory. Video here, from Minute 47:15. But does the plane-bombing undermine even that claim?
Japan's Ambassador Yukio Takasu, this month's president of the Council, told Inner City Press it is difficult to separate his nation's position from his role as president. He decried the Tamil Tigers for "using humanitarian" issues " to promote their military offensive." Video here, from Minute 12:22. He seemed to be implying that any focus on humanitarian suffering only helps the Tamil Tigers. But wouldn't Sudan's government make similar statements? Didn't Israel's?
Takasu said "I don't want to say human shields," but France's Jean-Maurice Ripert used the term, when asked by Inner City Press for France's position.Video here, from Minute 5:45. He said France is very concerned about "violations by both parties." Inner City Press asked, should it be discussed in the Council? I don't know, Ripert said, we'll see when Holmes gets back. In the UN, certainly, he said. We'll see.
Note: while Inner City Press continues to receive entreaties, including from people it respects, to not ask about civilian casualties in Sri Lanka "because it only helps the Tamil Tigers," there must be a way to respond to civilians deaths that is not dismissed as support of terrorists. The questions will continue.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc5srilanka022009.html
