Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/bansri9lanka042209.html
UNITED NATIONS, April 22, updated -- As the UN's envoy to Sri Lanka Vijay Nambiar gave a begrudging basement briefing to the UN Security Council, France flexed up its humanitarian muscles while China offered unequivocal support to the government's military crackdown in the north. Libya offered financial support, while Sri Lanka's requested $1.9 billion IMF loan pends.
New U.S. Permanent Representative Susan Rice, it was said, would speak on camera to the Press after the briefing. The previous day, when Inner City Press asked her about the UN's silence about its staff members detained in government camps, Ambassador Rice said, “UN personnel should have freedom of movement and be treated with respect."
Asked if the US is concerned about the ethnic aspect of the violence and detentions, she said, "The priority needs to be the physical protection of innocent civilians."
At Wednesday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe to elaborate on why Nambiar initially resisted the Council's request for a briefing. Okabe emphasized that now, he would be briefing. But why did he say it was too sensitive, that his talks with Sri Lankan officials were confidential? One would expect Nambiar to speak to the Press after the briefing, as his colleague Ibrahim Gambari does. But perhaps OCHA Deputy Catherine Bragg is being brought along so she can run interference.
We will live-blog the proceedings from the basement in this space.
Update of 6:01 p.m. -- there is talk of pulling UN Television out from the basement, as they go on overtime at 6. If so, some say, whatever is said outside the meeting room, even on behalf of the Council, is not “official.” A new low has been reached in this basement meeting.
Update of 6:11 p.m. -- French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert stepped out to brief the press. He recited commitments he said the Sri Lankan government has made. Inner City Press asked, what about freedom of movement in the IDP camps? Amb. Ripert said that is an issue, but it is important to distinguish between the government and the LTTE, who are “terrorists... who have lost the war and should surrender and release the hostages.” Then he went back into the meeting, where Ambassador after Ambassador is setting forth his or her view. Video here.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/bansri9lanka042209.html
