On
Syria
in Geneva, Few
New Facts But
Voting, No
Mood, Need
"CSI
Houla"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 1 -- When
the UN Human
Rights Council
on Friday took
up
the killings
in Houla,
Syria, one
expected some
sort of
briefing, new
facts, before
a vote on the
submitted
resolution.
But
the statement
of Navi
Pillay, read
out by an
associate, had
no new facts
and seemed
largely based
on media
reports. So
too the
pro-resolution
speakers.
The US'
Ambassador
Donahoe, for
example, said
"the facts are
clear."
But
UNSMIS General
Robert Mood
told the
Security
Council that
the the
circumstances
behind Houla
are murky or
uncertain. One
continues to
await a
serious
investigation.
The timing can
be contrasted
with the UN
still saying
it is
"studying" its
introduction
of cholera
into Haiti by
peacekeeepers.
There
were ironies
in some
speeches. For
example Italy
calling for a
referral to
the
International
Criminal Court
by the
Security
Council, when
at the UN
in New York
Italy had just
led successful
opposition to
a proposed
reform of the
Security
Council's
working
methods which
would have
urged that
vetoes not be
used in cases
of "ICC
crimes" like
genocide, war
crimes and
crimes against
humanity.
After
the member
states
finished, NGOs
were given the
floor and most
were similarly
without facts.
One exception
was
Reporters
Without
Borders, which
named
journalists
who'd been
arrested, and
the date on
which they
were released
if they were.
When
the vote was
called it
there were 41
in favor,
three against
(Russia,
China, Cuba)
and two
abstaining
(Uganda and
Ecuador).
Philippines
was
listed as
"absent" --
previously,
Filipino
diplomats have
explained to
Inner City
Press that
because they
have
expatriate
workers in
Syria, they do
not want to
get involved.
Benin was at
first listed
as absent,
then voted
yes.
Inner
City Press
asked most of
this from a
talbe in front
of the
Security
Council,
getting
comments from
Council member
diplomats as
they went
in and out for
bilateral
consultations
with the
Chinese
presidency of
the Council
for June.
One
delegation
waved an
article about
Syria's own
investigation,
blaming
most of the
killing at
short range on
"terrorists."
Another
said, we need
a real
investigation.
Inner City
Press replied,
as a
suggestion
based on the
Crime Scene
Investigation
television
franchise,
"CSI Houla."
Since just
before the
vote the
Secretariat
said the
resolution,
calling for an
investigtation
of Houla,
woudl have "no
program budget
implications"
-- that is, no
new money
spent on it --
it seems
unlikely this
will be the
needed "CSI
Houla."
Watch this
site.
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