By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- Alleged war criminal Shavendra Silva will in fact serve on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operation, as Ban disclaims any responsibility and will do nothing to stop it, Ban spokesperson informed Inner City Press on January 28.
Acts of Shavendra Silva's battalion in 2009 are described in the UN's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka, and lawsuits have been filed against Silva for war crimes.
On January 27, Inner City Press asked and wrote that in other circumstances, such as Syria's bid to be its regional group's representative on the UN Human Rights Council, efforts have been made at the UN including by the Secretariat to avoid or reverse nominations like this one which would be an embarrassment and make a mockery of the UN's stated principles.
After Inner City Press asked at the UN noon briefing on January 27 if Ban would say or do anything, spokesman Martin Nesirky said "Matthew, don't press your luck" and that he "might have something a little later."
When nothing came by close of business that day, Inner City Press put the question directly to UN Peacekeeping, including chief Herve Ladsous of France and Susana Malcorra, reportedly slated to be promote by Ban to his Deputy Secretary General,
So far neither UN Peacekeeping official has responded with any comment on how appointing an alleged war criminal to the Senior Adviser Group would impact the credibility of DPKO or DFS.
Back on October 24, Malcorra told the General Assembly's committee on peacekeeping that Ban
"had taken steps to fulfil his mandate to create a Senior Advisory Group comprising five eminent persons of relevant experience; five representatives from major troop countries; five representatives from major financial contributors; and one member from each regional group... If the Group was to be appointed, it would be important for Member States to complete their responses to the Secretary-General’s request for nominations."
Malcorra asked member states to send Ban "nominations," which to some implies that Ban did not have to accept any and all names submitted, for example that of an alleged war criminal. Would Ban similar put on his Senior Advisory Group the chief of Sudan's military, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court?
In fact, Ban's and Ladsous' envoy to Darfur Ibrahim Gambari recently greeted ICC indictee Omar al Bashir at a wedding reception in Sudan. When Inner City Press asked Nesirky if this complied with Ban's UN policy, the belated response was that Gambari greeted the ICC indictee based on "African traditions."
This is Ban's UN.
On January 28, a Saturday, 24 hours after Inner City Press posed the question, the following was received:
Subject: Your question
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Sat, Jan 28, 2012 at 12:43 PM
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com
The General Assembly instructed the Secretary-General to establish the senior advisory group, stipulating that its membership should comprise five representatives nominated by the troop-contributing countries, five representatives nominated by the financial contributors, and one representative named by each of the five regional groups. The General Assembly specified that five eminent persons of relevant experience should be independently appointed by the Secretary-General himself. The Secretary-General's responsibility under GA resolution 65/289 related only to the nomination of the five eminent persons that he was asked to selected himself; the 15 other members of the SAG were selected by the TCCs, FCCs and Regional Groups, as prescribed by the General Assembly.
The response seeks to absolve all responsibility, including for the UN's credibility, from Ban Ki-moon, who already stood smiling as Tamil children at gunpoint sung his name in the internment camps in Northern Sri Lanka in May 2009, and since then yelled at his own staff in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Ban shakes with Silva as Kohona looks on, Feb 23 2011 (c) MRLee
In other cases, Ban has tried to exercise leadership with member states, including to impact his UN's credibility. But not here, it seems; while his two top peacekeeping officials remain silent.
An alleged war criminal appointed without any push back by Ban Ki-moon to Ban's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations: this is Ban's UN. Watch this site.
From the UN's transcript of its January 27 noon briefing:
Question: The Sri Lankan Government is, I call it bragging, is announcing that Shavendra Silva, their deputy PR whose battalion is listed in the Panel of Experts report about crimes in Sri Lanka, has been, quote, “selected” to be on this Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations. I wanted to know, one, if that is true of the status, if it has actually been confirmed? And two, if the Secretary-General has any ability to block or speak about such a selection, given that some people say to put a person accused of war crimes on an advisory group about peacekeeping would send the wrong messages?
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, as I understand it, Major General Shavendra Silva was selected by the Group of Asian States as their representative. He was not selected by the Secretary-General. As to your other question, I may have something further on that a little later.
Inner City Press: You would, I am sure, know this, there was a big fight here for example of keeping Syria off the Human Rights Council and there was, it was initially a nominee of a regional group, I mean there seems to be some ability certainly of Member States, but I believe at times the Secretary-General to…
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Matthew…
Inner City Press: …not accept…
Spokesperson: Matthew, sometimes it seems you don’t listen to what I am saying. I just said I may have something further for you later, okay?
Inner City Press: I know, I did hear you say that, I just want to make sure. I am writing about it today, so ... is it going to be before 5 p.m., what you have say? That’s why I am asking a follow-up
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Don’t push your luck, Matthew.
Was that a threat? "Rajapaksa style," as one wag afterward put it? We'll see.
