As US Blake Opposes Sri Lankan General Silva as UN Adviser, French PR Araud No Comments & Worse

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 28 -- While countries like Pakistan have tried to help the UN's image by urging that Sri Lankan general Shavendra Silva, whose 58th Division is depicted in UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Panel of Experts report as engaged in war crimes, not continue as on the Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, the French putative owners of UN Peacekeeping have had nothing to say.

Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in row atop the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, has evaded the issue including at a recent press conference.

On February 28, after SAG chairperson Louise Frechette said it would not be appropriate for Silva to participate and Sri Lanka fought back in the Asia Group, Inner City Press asked French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud if France thinks Silva should be on the SAG.

Araud hesitated, then said nothing and continued. Silence, as they say, is consent.

French foreign minister Alain Juppe is speechifying in Geneva that "there can be no impunity" with regard to Syria. But on this issue, whether French-dominated UN Peacekeeping should be advised by an alleged war criminal, France has nothing to say at the UN. At least publicly....

Publicly, on Twitter, US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake on Tuesday took Inner City Press' question: "What does US say to Asia Group mulling backing Gen Shavendra Silva as UN adviser, & Ban Ki-moon being silent?"

Blake responded, publicly, "Appointment was inappropriate given lack of independent investigation into end of war circumstances."

By contrast, not only did Araud say nothing publicly -- privately, Inner City Press is informed, he has been defending Ladsous and Ban Ki-moon's inaction, claiming they have no jurisdiction at all, and even undermining Frechette's determination. We can have more on this. France is the home of human rights? Hardly.

At UN, Ban Cannot Stop Sri Lanka's Shooting, Blake's Visit, Report Mid-October

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/untrip9may1srilanka092909.html

UNITED NATIONS, September 29 -- In the wake of the Sri Lankan Army shooting at least two children on the margins of the Manik Farm "Internally Displaced Persons" camp in Vavuniya, Inner City Press on Tuesday asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon if, in his September 28 meeting with three Sri Lankan ministers, he sought or gained any commitment for non-use of lethal weapons on unarmed IDPs. Video here, from Minute 32:40.

Mr. Ban proffered a more than 150 word answer, but did not mention any such commitment, even seeking one. He rattled off "three points" -- in essence, resettlement, reconciliation and accountability -- and said "they committed that they will do as we have agreed. But we have to have a close watch and monitor this process."

But will they keep shooting unarmed civilians, including children?

Speaking of war crimes, Inner City Press has continued to inquire into the reason for the delay in the U.S. Department of State's report on war crimes in Sri Lanka, which was due in Congress on September 21. On September 29, a U.S. official on background told Inner City Press, "We are still working on the report. Congress has extended the submission date. We expect to submit the report to Congress in mid-October."

This would tend to rebut reports Tuesday in the Sri Lankan press that the report is delayed "indefinitely," with assistance to the Rajapaksa administration from Israel, citing "the real assets of the Sri Lankan Air Force driving Eelam War 1V were the new Spy planes. Several Cessna 421 , Golden Eagle and two ‘Beechcraft’ super King crafts were bought from the United States for maritime and ground surveillance . Close ground surveillance was carried out by Israeli IAI searcher MK 11 and EMIT Blue Horizon 2 unmanned aerial vehicles."

While the arming may be true, the full disarming of the report does not appear to be.

Just after Mr. Ban's press conference, Inner City Press observed what seemed to be U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake entering the elevators on the UN's second floor. Later in the day, Mr. Blake graciously confirmed to Inner City Press that he was at UN headquarters, holding meetings on the margins of the General Assembly and Tuesday meeting with UN colleagues on the countries in his area of responsibility -- which includes Sri Lanka. We hope to have more on this.

From the UN's September 28, 2009 transcript:

Inner City Press: [On the] children shot in Sri Lanka, did you get a commitment from the Government not to shoot unarmed civilians who leave the camp?

S-G Ban: Now, on Sri Lanka, yesterday we had an extensive discussion with the Prime Minister. And the Foreign Minister and Defense Secretary were also present in the meeting. They were the key people in managing this situation. I made three points clearly again, which I did during my visit, and which was repeated and urged again during Mr. [B. Lynn] Pascoe's visit earlier this month. First, that all IDPs should be resettled, as they had promised, by the end of January. There should be extra measures taken, particularly during this monsoon season, because their suffering will be much, much more serious during this wet season. They should immediately begin to reach out to minority ethnic groups, including Tamils. Then, I emphasized the importance of instituting immediately this judiciary accountability process for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Those were three points, and they committed that they will do as we have agreed. But we have to have a close watch and monitor this process.

So was there any "commitment from the Government not to shoot unarmed civilians who leave the camp?" Apparently not.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip9may1srilanka092909.html