UNITED NATIONS, April 20 -- With the Sri Lankan government speaking of expanded military action on Tuesday in the "No Fire" Zone, the UN Security Council behind closed doors on Monday discussed getting a briefing from Ban Ki-moon's envoy Vijay Nambiar. On camera, United States Deputy Permanent Representative Alejandro Wolff told Inner City Press that the U.S. "supports the call" by the United Kingdom for a briefing on Sri Lanka. Video here, from Minute 9:17.
Sources tell Inner City Press that in the closed-door meeting, it was France which made the request for the briefing. Outside the chamber, Inner City Press asked UK Permanent Representative John Sawers if his country's envoy to Sri Lanka Des Browne, rejected by the government there, is already in New York. Yes, Ambassador Sawers said.
Security Council President Claude Heller of Mexico told Inner City Press that as of mid-day on April 20, Browne had not visited to the Council, but that "the general sense of the members of the Security Council" is to get a briefing from Nambiar. "We know that Sri Lanka is a very special case," he said, but "there is an interest to be briefed."
This reference to Sri Lanka's "special" status highlights the Council's disparate treatment of the "bloodbath on the beach" in Northern Sri Lanka. While less intense fighting, at least now, in the western Sudan region of Darfur gives rise to numerous Council meetings, even large scale military action in areas packed with civilians in Sri Lanka is kept from the Council's formal agenda.
A well-placed Council source tells Inner City Press that in Monday's closed-door consultations, China said that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam "use" any Council briefing to legitimate themselves, and that the Council should beware. This is a argument straight from the Sri Lankan government. It is also one that Sudan for example has advanced without success regarding the emboldening of the Justice and Equality Movement rebels by the Council's attempted micro-managing of events in Darfur. But, as Ambassador Heller said, Sri Lanka is "a special case."
Some point to Ban Ki-moon's prepared statement on Monday, criticizing the LTTE but not saying who is doing the deadly shelling of the No Fire Zone, and say it reflects a lack of balance, even complicity. There was no opportunity to ask Ban or his spokespeople about it on Monday, as the normal noon briefing was cancelled and replaced by a one-way television hook up with Geneva, where Ban denounced an anti-Israel statement made at the Durban Follow-up Conference in Geneva.
The Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General said that coverage of Ban's position on this was more important or newsworthy that the day's other events, including in Sri Lanka.
Inner City Press asked where Nambiar is, since the Council can't be briefed until he returns. Sources tell Inner City Press he stopped in India on his way back. Ban's office says Nambiar will be back in New York on Tuesday morning, but Council sources think it won't be until Wednesday, and that the briefing will take place them, more than 24 hours after the expiration of the Sri Lankan government's ultimatum. Watch this site.
