UNITED NATIONS, July 7 -- With Sri Lanka government minister Wimal Weerawansa threatening to get “more serious” than Tuesday's hostage taking of UN staff, and the UN capitulating by closing its office in Colombo on Wednesday, in New York the UN Security Council will meet on Wednesday morning. The topic is “The Protection of Civilians.”
On Tuesday evening the political coordinator of a non-permanent Council member told Inner City Press his Ambassador may raised to other Council members the hostage taking of and threats against UN staff in Sri Lanka.
He said the Council meets about the temporary arrest of a single shepherd in some parts of the world, but has yet to discuss the attacks on UN staff in Sri Lanka.
The problem, he said, is Russia and China, both of which for geo-strategic reasons have expressed support for the Rajapaksa government's attacks on the UN for naming even an advisory panel on war crimes in Sri Lanka. Both sell weapons to the Rajapaksas; China is developing a major port, reportedly with prison labor.
But will China and Russia be willing to support these attacks on UN staff led by government minister Wimal Weerawansa?
Inner City Press asked two senior UN officials on Tuesday night about Weerawansa's call to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, which resulted in the police stepping back to allow the hostage taking of UN staff to proceed.
One official shook his head ruefully and said, “That's a problem.” The other dutifully said “We are still checking to see who Weerawansa called.”
Well, here is a Weerawansa quote to the BBC, about Ban capitulating on even his advisory panel: "If he doesn’t do that, we will make our protest more serious."
Meanwhile Weerawansa is blaming the subsequent (and gentle) re-engagement by police on an unnamed UN official having paid a bribe to the police. What will be the UN's belated response? Watch this site
