Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
www.innercitypress.com/bansri2lanka041709.html
UNITED NATIONS, April 17 -- As the UN has told diplomats in Colombo that the civilian death count in North Sri Lanka since January 20 has risen from 2683 to 4500, in New York UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq on Friday declined to confirm the UN's figures or their release. Inner City Press asked Haq if UN envoy Vijay Nambiar, who met with Sri Lanka's president and his brother, the Defense Minister, is asking for a cease-fire. Haq answered that the UN is only asking that heavy artillery not be used. Video here, from Minute 14:16.
Inner City Press, which reportedly exclusively on Thursday morning on Nambiar's selection and mission to Sri Lanka, asked Nambiar for an update. To his credit, Nambiar responded, but said he is unable to comment. Inner City Press had asked April's UN Security Council president Claude Heller of Mexico if Nambiar will brief the Council upon his return. Heller, on camera, said that a lunch meeting next week between Council members and Ban Ki-moon will allow for a report on Nambiar's trip. Video here.
Since then, Inner City Press has learned from multiple Council sources that there may be a willingness by the Council to hear directly from Nambiar, but not in the Council chamber or consultation room, only in the basement in the same "informal inter-active dialogue" format used for John Holmes briefing.
Relatedly, Inner City Press has again sought comment from the Mexican Mission to the UN about what, if anything, Mexico committed to Sri Lanka's Foreign Secretary. He initially said that Mexico promised to keep Sri Lanka off the agenda, seeing it as similar to Mexico's conflict in Chiapas. Heller, respondin on camera to a question from Inner City Press, called this inaccurate. Sri Lanka repeatedly the claim, and when Inner City Press sought formal comment, the Mexican Mission's affable spokesman Marco Morales provided this:
Subj: RE: here's "Sri Lanka stands by statement on Lanka-Mexico talks
From: [NY/UN spokesman at] sre.gob.mx
To: Inner City Press
Sent: 4/17/2009 10:59:45 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Matthew, in the spirit of clarifying our position, this is what we have to say:
Mexico understands that Sri Lanka is not an item in the Security Council agenda, and we have not sought to make it one. That has been our position before the members of the Council and before the government of Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, Mexico – along with other members of the Security Council, the UN Secretary General and other agencies in the UN system – has stressed its concerns about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. We have also supported the actions implemented by the Secretary General and UN agencies on this matter.
We consider of the utmost importance to keep information on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka flowing regularly to the Council in the most appropriate format agreed upon by its members. The government of Sri Lanka has been forthcoming in providing the Council with information, but we think it would be appropriate for other independent sources to lend further credence to this information. We have also encouraged the government of Sri Lanka to further cooperate with the United Nations.
So, Mexico did make certain commitments or assurances to Sri Lanka -- on information and belief, that Sri Lanka would not this month be added to the Council's formal "Program of Work." At the same time, Mexico "think[s] it would be appropriate for other independent sources to lend further credence to this information."
And see, www.innercitypress.com/bansri2lanka041709.html
