By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, August 15 -- In ten days the visit to Sri Lanka by UN High Commission for Human Rights Navi Pillay will begin, her spokeperson Rupert Colville announced this morning.
Three days ago on August 12, Inner City Press asked Colville's office:
"On Sri Lanka, does the High Commissioner have any comment on the Sri Lanka Army live fire at protesters in Weliweriya, killing at least three, and now the attack on the mosque in the Grandpass section of Colombo? Also, an updates on the High Commissioner's upcoming visit to Sri Lanka? Who will she meet with, where will she go, when will she report?"
In Colville's stead, Liz Throssell replied, "I have contacted colleagues regarding your queries and will try to get back to you as soon as I have information on these issues."
In the three days since, not only UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who has before him without disclosing his own study of "Lessons Learnt" from the UN's inaction and even actions in 2009, but also Pillay's and Colville's office have had nothing to say on the murders at Weliweriya and the attack on the mosque in the Grandpass section of Colombo.
One might argue Pillay is strategically staying quiet on these, either in order to opine once there, or as a way to get into the country. But will she visit Weliweriya?
Here is the complete statement, listing Colville and Throssell as the contacts:
GENEVA (15 August 2013) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, will make an official visit to Sri Lanka from 25 to 31 August 2013, at the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government.
Pillay is scheduled to call on President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and meet government ministers and officials. She will hold talks with senior judicial figures, members of the National Human Rights Commission and the committee monitoring the National Plan of Action on the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt Reconciliation Commission. She will also meet representatives of civil society and undertake field visits to the north and east of the country.
At the end of her visit, on Saturday 31 August, the High Commissioner is due to hold a news conference in Colombo.
We will cover it.
Inner City Press also asked Colville's office:
"While there are other questions, beyond the below, I wonder if you have any comment or guidance on the UN's continued support to the 391st Battalion of the FARDC, even after it's been implicated in the desecration of corpses and abuse of prisoners, after being one or two units implicated in the mass rapes at Minova? What does this say about the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy?"
What would be the reason for not answering that, in three days? Watch this site.
