By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, March 3 – A week after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accepted a Sri Lanka whitewash report from five Ambassadors following a photo op covered by Inner City Press, the first media question to Ban in Geneva was about Sri Lanka.
Ban answered by praising the report, which despite requests from Inner City Press neither he nor the whitewashing Ambassadors have released to the public.
Ban said of the hand-over, " I recognized through our meeting with them the important steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka since the end of the conflict." What steps?
While the UN says that after its inaction in Sri Lanka while 40,000 were killed in 2009 it is now studying the “lessons learned,” Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on February 22 met with Sri Lankan Ambassador Palitha Kohona and four other Permanent Representatives to accept a quite contrary report.
Before Inner City Press was asked to leave the conference room, Japan's Permanent Representative Tsuneo Nishida told Ban that “Sri Lanka is an important country” and “this morning we would like to present our report.” Then the meeting was closed; in fact, no topic was ever listed for the meeting. Inner City Press was the only media there.
Click here to view short YouTube video here, on channel of Inner City Press. See tweeted photo of Ban & Kohona, here.
Some wondered if Ban would hold such a meeting, for example, with Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari and four other supportive Permanent Representatives, who could certainly be found. The answer would appear to be “no.” So why on Sri Lanka?
Now it's worse: Ban not only formally accepted the whitewash report while not making public - he now cites the withheld report as showing accountability in Sri Lanka when asked about a "strong statement demanding the Human Rights Council to ask for an international and independent investigation. Do you support this request?"
From the UN's March 1 transcript:
SG Ban Ki-moon: I have consistently underlined the critical importance of addressing accountability in Sri Lanka through a genuine and comprehensive national process achieving national reconciliation. Last week in New York I have received the Japanese ambassador who led the accountability assessment mission to Sri Lanka where representatives of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Rumania [sic], Sri Lanka and a Colombia University professor participated in an observation project to Sri Lanka last December. I recognized through our meeting with them the important steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka since the end of the conflict and strongly underlined the need to address the remaining challenges particularly on issues relating to reconciliation and accountability. I highlighted the importance for the Government of Sri Lanka to work constructively with the international community towards that end. Thank you.
Rebuffed in getting a copy of the report Ban now replies on from the UN itself, Inner City Press asked one of the hand-over Permanent Representatives, who passed the buck to another of the Perm Reps. This PR, when Inner City Press asked on February 28, declined saying Inner City Press' February 22 story had not been "friendly."
Now as separately reported today the UN is telling Inner City Press it is deeply disappointed with its reporting, particularly its use of quotes even though on the record, and naming of names. Click here for that.
Update of March 4: Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman at Monday's noon briefing for a copy of the report, and/or an explanation of the "steps" Ban was referring to -- but got neither. Watch this site.
