UNITED NATIONS, September 5, updated Sept. 8 -- Two days ago we predicted that the government of Sri Lanka would expel UNICEF's Colombo-based spokesman James Elder, and said that the UN would have questions to answer. Now it has happened, and unnamed UNICEF officials are quoted that they will raise the issue to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Ban met with Sri Lanka's minister of human rights while in Geneva, ostensibly about the internment camps, the coming monsoon season and "accountability." Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe on September 4:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about reports in Sri Lanka that in the [inaudible] IDP camps, that despite all counting, the governing agent of the [inaudible] district says that 10,000 people suddenly are not accounted for in the camps and only 2,000 are subject to visits from the ICRC. Is that something that OCHA or the UN, which has some involvement in the camps, can speak to?
Deputy Spokesperson: Specifically, on that incident or on the reports that you are mentioning, I suggest that you follow up with the agencies involved, but for those of you who may not have heard, yesterday, in Geneva, the Secretary-General did meet with the Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights of Sri Lanka and they discussed the conditions in the camps for internally displaced persons, particularly with the approaching monsoon season. They also discussed the return of IDPs as well as the importance of free movement of people among the camps and free movement of UN and international humanitarian workers. They talked about the importance of reconciliation and they also discussed accountability, particularly in the light of recent accusations of extrajudicial executions.
Inner City Press: But did they discuss the issue of actual IDPs missing…?
Deputy Spokesperson: I think this covers a wide range of the bigger picture of the situation there.
Unless you're one of the people gone missing... Regarding the meeting, either Ban was not forceful, or he has no sway with the Sri Lankans -- less than 48 hours after this meeting, which Okabe called big picture, a UN system spokesperson in Colombo was expelled. Now what will Ban do?
UNICEF, at least at the top level, is hardly forceful in its uploading of international humanitarian law. UNICEF director Ann Veneman in a recent online Q&A session -- this way she can choose which questions to answer, unlike in the UN briefing room she has not appeared in for months -- was asked
Q: What is UNICEF doing to help the children held as prisoners in camps in Sri Lanka?
Veneman: UNICEF is providing humanitarian assistance in the camps for internally displaced people in Sri Lanka, including safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, vaccinations and nutrition assistance. It is also involved in providing protection for children in the camps, especially those who have been separated from their families and are at risk of neglect, abuse and exploitation. We continue to be greatly concerned about children who have been impacted by conflict in Sri Lanka. UNICEF also works throughout Sri Lanka supporting health, education and protection programmes for children.
Did she not read the word "internment"?
Flashback: Inner City Press' September 3 prediction stated that "something else that Ban Ki-moon may have to be asked to respond to is what Colombo sources say is the impending expulsion of UNICEF's James Elder, for speaking, how ever diplomatically, about the problems in the UN-funded internment camps." Now what?
Update: And then three days later:
From: unspokesperson-donotreply [at] un.org
Sent: 9/8/2009 12:35:43 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sri Lanka
Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General strongly regrets the decision of the Sri Lankan Government to expel Mr. James Elder, Spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka. The Secretary-General expresses his full confidence in the work of the United Nations in Sri Lanka, which includes making public statements when necessary in an effort to save lives and prevent grave humanitarian problems. The United Nations is working impartially to assist the people of Sri Lanka, and the Government should be supporting and cooperating with its efforts.
The Secretary-General will take up this issue with President Rajapaksa at the earliest opportunity and will continue to urge him to implement all the commitments made in their joint statement after the Secretary-General’s visit to Sri Lanka in May.
We'll see.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip7may6srilanka090509.html
