On Sri Lanka Murder of 12 Year Old, Ban's UN is Aware, Calls for National Process

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 20 -- As news of the summary execution of a 12 year old boy by the Sri Lankan Army in May 2009 spreads worldwide, Inner City Press on Wednesday asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman about it, citing Ban's “two reports and a third one still ongoing.

  Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky began with a correction, saying that this third report “is an internal task force looking at how recommendations will be carried out in the UN... it's not to do with looking into the actual events in Sri Lanka.”

  Some wonder how the UN can fully assess its inaction in Sri Lanka without taking into account new evidence of war crimes, including the murder of children in the days the UN was playing middleman for surrenders which ended in summary executions.

  Nesirky went on to say “we are aware of the video footage and reports about it,” but he had “no specific comment” beyond Ban's general statement on the “importance of accountability.” 

  He again referred to a “national process,” when it is clear to many that has not and will not happen in the run-up to the UN Human Rights Council session in March. 

  In Sri Lanka, the release of e-mails from Stratfor, the privately owned intelligence company, has sparked a controversy regarding  Reuters' bureau chief there, Bryson Hull.

  One 2010 e-mail depicts Hull promoting his “ace-in-the-hole analyst, Reva Bhalla of Stratfor... a consummate information dealer... we had a very successful relationship during the end of the war in Sri Lanka.”

  Groundviews has been asking Hull to explain the e-mail. (Inner City Press has learned from some Hull reports in the past, for example in 2012 on the Maldives.) Hull has replied, among other things, that Reva Bhalla "was quoted by name in a Reuters story.”

   That would be far better than Reuters' UN bureau, whose chief Louis Charbonneau in 2012 played a leading role in a campaign to try to oust Inner City Press first from the UN Correspondents Association then from the UN as a whole.

   Triggering the campaign was a story Inner City Press wrote about Sri Lanka, war crimes and conflicts of interest -click here for the account of the UK-based Sri Lanka campaign, chaired by Kofi Annan's former communications chief Edward Mortimer. Watch this site.

At UN, Susan Rice Calls Sri Lankan Executions Disturbing, No Council Session Set, Rajapaksa No Show, HG Error

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/untrip7may4srilanka090209.html

UNITED NATIONS, September 2 -- Three months after the UN Security Council held informal session about the conflict Sri Lanka, the newly released video footage depicting the Sri Lankan Army committing summary execution has not led any Council member, including the United States, to propose that the situation be discussed on the Council agenda. But, U.S. Ambassador and Council President for September Susan Rice told the Press, "these reports are very fresh and that could change." Video here, from Minute 24.

At Ambassador Rice's month-opening press conference, Inner City Press asked her about Sri Lanka, the video, and the critique in the leaked memo of Norwegian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Mona Juul that Ban Ki-moon lacked "moral authority" when he made his trip to Sri Lanka, like his visit to Myanmar. Video here, from Minute 21:50.

Ms. Rice did not respond about the Juul memo, but said that the video reports are "very disturbing" and "of grave concern," that the U.S. would like more information as it formulates its national response. That is awaited, as is a response to the 20 year jail term for J.S. Tissainayagam, an Amnesty International prison of conscience whom U.S. President Obama on World Press Freedom Day on May 1 called an "emblematic example" of a reporter jailed for doing his job.

Ms. Rice's press conference kicks off a month in which President Barack Obama will come to the UN for the General Assembly session. Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa had been scheduled to come along with a large entourage. But reportedly Karuna and others in his party were denied visa. Now, Rajapaksa will apparently not come, leaving the Prime Minister to represent the country.

In the latest speakers' schedule for the General Assembly, which Inner City Press is putting online here, Sri Lanka is listed as speaking on September 26 along with other countries represented at the Head of Government. There is only one problem: the Sri Lanka Prime Minister is not the Head of Government, that is a post that President Rajapaksa holds as well as being Head of State.

Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq if the "head of government" notation was an error by UN Protocol. Haq responded diplomatically that it is the responsibility of member states to give accurate information. Watch this site.

From the U.S. Mission to the UN's transcript

Inner City Press: ...this Mona Juul memo that many people have spoken about, talking about where the U.N. stands in terms of what she called a lack of moral authority on Myanmar, Sri Lanka and even Sudan... on Sri Lanka, there's this video that came out of the army apparently shooting, you know, naked prisoners. Do you expect the Council to take that issue up in any way?

Ambassador Rice: ...With respect to Sri Lanka, again speaking in a national capacity, these reports are very disturbing. They're of grave concern. We'd like more information as we formulate our own national response.

And to date, going back now to Council President, I'm not aware of a Council member proposing that this be discussed on the Council agenda, but obviously these reports are very fresh and that could change.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip7may4srilanka090209.html

At UN, Tortured Concern about Sri Lanka Killing Video But Not Reporter's Term of 20 Years

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/untrip7may3srilanka083109.html

UNITED NATIONS, August 31 -- While in Norway UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, asked about Sri Lanka, neglected to mention the recently broadcast video footage of depicting Sri Lankan soldiers committing summary executions, in New York on Monday Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe had a prepared statement ready, when Inner City Press asked the question. Inner City Press asked Ms. Okabe to confirm or deny that the video had come up as an issue in Ban's meetings with Norwegian ministers, and separately to finally comment on the footage. Video here from Minute 11:02. Ms. Okabe said

"I don't have anything specific on the video in terms of the bilateral meeting... We have always viewed with utmost concern the reports and information received from various sources of serious human rights violations including those related to war crimes The footage broadcast on Channel Four last week that shows Tamil prisoners being summarily executed allegedly by Sri Lankan armed forces personnel is no exception. We are not in the position to ascertain the authenticity of the video in question and have noted its rejection by the Sri Lanka authorities."

This strikes some as a convoluted, even tortured expression of concern: we are concerned about violations generally, and this "alleged" case is no exception, except that we can't authenticate it and note the government's "rejection." Is a rejection a denial? Or a dismissal?

Inner City Press followed up, asking if Ban agrees with the call for United Nations investigation by Special Rapporteur Philip Alston. Ms. Okabe responded, "Let's see... the first port of call should be the High Commissioner on Human Rights, so we'll check in with them to see what their initial response is." Video here, from Minute 12:44.

In light of the 20 year prison sentence announced earlier Monday in Colombo for J.S. Tissainayagam, an Amnesty International prison of conscience whom U.S. President Obama on World Press Freedom Day on May 1 called an "emblematic example" of a reporter jailed for doing his job, Inner City Press asked Ms. Okabe if Ban or the UN had any response to the long jail sentence for a journalist. Video here, from Minute 13:12. Ms Okabe replied, "I don't have a direct response, I have seen the press reports on that."

So what's the upshot? The UN's Ban finally issued a round-about expression of concern, noting the Sri Lankan government's "rejection" of the summary execution video. His Deputy Spokesman would not say if Ban favors any UN attempt to ascertain the authenticity of the video, and had no response to the 20 year sentence for a journalist in Sri Lanka.

Norway's deputy ambassador to the UN Mona Juul wrote that on Sri Lanka, among other places, Ban has no "moral authority." Has the critique been rebutted? Many people feel it has not. And Ban has headed to the Arctic Circle.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip7may3srilanka083109.html