Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/untrip2may3srilanka052309.html
OVER NO FIRE ZONE, SRI LANKA, May 23, updated -- On three Sri Lankan military helicopters, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, his entourage and the Press were flown over the so-called No Fire Zone. Beneath lay shattered buildings and expanses of torn tents and burned out vehicles, even a burned out ship. The approach to the No Fire Zone was eerily quiet, with white birds flying over farmhouses with no roofs and livestock running free and untended. The government of Mahinda Rajapaksa, clearly, is proud of its handiwork. But what to make of it?
Consider, for a moment, if the Sudanese government offered tours of South Darfur, showing where it had routed the Justice and Equality Movement and burned out all the buildings, and then moved all civilians to interment camps surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers. Even more than now, advocates and Western countries would call "genocide."
But Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said, we must help the Sri Lankan government. He pledged aid for the interment camps. He came close to saying the pounding in the north was a cause for joy for many. What is the difference? Was this not a war crimes tour?
Strangely, there were some people down in the shattered Zone. They stared up at the helicopter and waved their arms. The copters did not stop. The excuse given, by or about the UN's Vijay Nambiar, was that the Zone is too dangerous to visit. But there were people walking there, among the tattered tents and running wild dogs.
After the mind numbing helicopter tour, reporter gorged on Sri Lankan Air Force curry and looked at the photos they'd taken. These are war crimes on a platter, said one, as another reporter returned for a second round of cashew curry.
The next stop, before any Internet, would be President Rajapaksa in the historic city of Kandy. It contains a famous Buddhist temple, and one UN official admitted to Inner City Press that Rajapaksa was adament that Ban come to Kandy, and wanted to parade him through the Buddhist temple of the tooth. Rajapaksa's really rubbing our noses in it, the official said.
When the UN is desperate to be relevant, this is what can happen.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip2may3srilanka052309.html
