By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, January 14 -- For the four weeks since UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on December 17 announced his Panel of Experts would visit Sri Lanka and praised the “flexibility” of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his Spokesperson's office has refused to answer questions about Rajapaksa officials' statements that they were unable of any trip, that Ban's Panel would get only “conditional visas,” not to investigate but only “make representations” to Rajapaksa's Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Commission.
When Ban held his next monthly press conference on January 14, Inner City Press sought to ask, as it has in writing without a responsible answer, when and under what conditions the Panel might travel, given that it was supposed to issue a report by January 15.
But despite Inner City Press signing up to ask a question, and keeping hand raised throughout Ban's 45 minute press conference, Inner City Press was not called on to ask any question. This was something new.
While other reporters shouted out questions about Ban administration corruption and if Ban will seek a second term -- no comment -- Inner City Press chose not to get into shouting. Rather, Inner City Press waited by the exit of the Dag Hammarskold Library where Ban would pass.
“Mister Secretary General, you said your Panel is going to Sri Lanka,” Inner City Press asked, “what happened?”
Ban Ki-moon replied, “They are now working very seriously on finalizing the dates of visiting Sri Lanka.”
Inner City Press asked about “the government has said they can only talk to the LLRC, that they can't investigate anything.”
Ban Ki-moon replied, “They will be able to... They are now discussing that.”
This again in contradictory to what the Sri Lankan government has said, and even to what Ban's spokespeople have said. Ban's acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq, bypassing Inner City Press' outstanding questions, told BBC's Sinhala service that the Panel might only meet the LLRC outside Sri Lanka.
Then, when Inner City Press asked questions on it day after day, Haq said that Ban's Panel's mandate is broader than the LLRC. Haq refused to answer if the Panel or its staff would travel to Sri Lanka.
The Sri Lanka government immediately said that to the contrary, it would only be with the LLRC, that no investigation or other discussion would be possible, and visas would be limited to this effect.
Inner City Press asked Ban Spokesman Nesirky with whom Ban spoke before making his December 17 announcement and praising Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nesirky refused to answer, just as he has refused any answer to the question of Ban's prior relations and meetings with Rajapaksa, and Ban's close family members' dealings and presence in Sri Lanka: all factual questions refused.
Nesirky's office on January 14 emailed Inner City Press that the Panel would delay its report into February. (Nesirky's Office's post hoc insertion in the transcript, below, refers to the end of February ).
Then Nesirky refused to allow any question from Inner City Press: the above quoted and recorded answer was only possible by waiting in the entrance of the auditorium.
Ban claimed transparency, but this is not it. Watch this site.
From the UN's supplemented January 13 transcript:
Inner City Press: since there’s no noon briefing tomorrow, I just wanted to ask....with the Sri Lanka panel, and it was said that the four months, its work term, expires on 15 January. Is that report going to be turned in on that date? Has there been any — you know, on the Secretary-General’s statement of 17 December, that the panel was going to go to Sri Lanka?
Spokesperson: I’ll check on both of them for you, Matthew. Okay, thank you very much and have a good afternoon.
[He later added that the Sri Lanka panel has been granted an extension until the end of February.]
