By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- While Sri Lanka's government claims that the Panel of Experts report describing war crimes is "not a UN report," that is precisely what Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd called it Thursday night at the UN when Inner City Press asked him about the report.
Rudd had been scheduled to speak at 6 pm about the Commonwealth. Notably, there is a move to oust Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth in light of war crimes.
But Rudd's stakeout was pushed back past 9 pm, at which time he opened on wider themes. Inner City Press asked the first questions, about Palestine and the move in the Commonwealth to push for accountability for war crimes in Sri Lanka. Video here, from Minute 7:55.
Rudd answered that members of the Commonwealth have been watching Sri Lanka over the last two years, "acutely aware of the report written by the UN," and of the government's Commission.
Rudd said that the Lessons Learnt report must deal with the "issues raised in the UN report." He said there will be many more conversations, that the key is the content of the Lesson Learnt report. Video here, from Minute 12:24.
Earlier on Thursday, Inner City Press observed and reported on Sri Lankan foreign minister Peiris meeting with the UN's Lynn Pascoe, and alluded to a later meeting with Vijay Nambiar.
On Thursday afternoon, Inner City Press observed Nambiar with Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky, and sent each of them an email asking for confirmation and a read out of the meeting.
Nambiar wrote back:
"This is to confirm that, on the request of the Sri Lankan side, I met their Foreign Minister and his delegation after their meeting with senior officials of the Department of Political Affairs. I have no comments to make on my meeting."
Inner City Press quickly offered thanks for even this confirmation, saying it was useful -- and now used. Later another senior UN official opined that for a country to meet with Pascoe, Ban Ki-moon and Nambiar is rare. But Sri Lanka is special.
Multiple sources told Inner City Press that Mahinda Rajapaksa will meet with Ban on Friday. When Inner City Press asked, Ban's spokesperson's office on Thursday morning replied:
Regarding your questions on Sri Lanka, it is envisaged that the Secretary-General will meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka on the sidelines of this General Assembly. The Secretary-General's daily appointments are made public on the evening prior, and are available at the Spokesperson's Office.
But the Friday September 23 scheduled put out late Thursday did not list any meeting with Rajapaksa. Watch this site.
