UNITED NATIONS
GATE, January 28 –Once Mahinda
Rajapaksa who oversaw the 2009
war crimes dubbed the
bloodbath on the beach on
October 26 was named the
country's prime minster by
Sirisena whom UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres has
praised, Guterres was very
slow in making any comment,
despite or continuing the UN's
shameful history on Sri Lanka
including pulling out and
allowing and covering up the
slaughter in 2008 and 2009.
Now Shavendra
Silva, who despite his
UN documented role
in the killings in 2008 and
2009 was allowed for a time to
advise the UN Secretary
General on Peacekeeping and
host a movie
screening with the
pro-Guterres correspondents group,
has been named Army Chief of
Staff. Guterres is silent; his
fig-leafed acceptance of
implicated Sri Lankan soldiers
as peacekeepers will
foreseeably continue - and it
has, through January 28 and
counting. Guterres and his
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
have refused to answer any of
the written questions of Inner
City Press whom they had
roughed up and banned amid its
Sri Lanka and human rights
questions. Now ITJP has said,
"the United Nations cannot in
good conscience continue to
deploy peacekeepers from an
Army headed by a man who
allegedly repeatedly and
knowingly committed war crimes
against hundreds of thousands
of civilians. Major General
Silva of course is not alone
in being promoted post-War –
there is a pattern of
rewarding, honouring and
promoting alleged
perpetrators, deploying them
in prestigious UN jobs, as
diplomats and in the former
conflict areas to administer
the very people they defeated.
This is a text book case of
impunity. 4 CAREER 1.1.
SRI LANKAN ARMY Major General
Shavendra Silva commanded the
58 Division during the final
phase of Sri Lanka’s Civil
War2 . He reported to General
Jagath Jayasuriya, the Vanni
Security Force Head Quarters
(SFHQ) Commander. One report
said Shavendra Silva in early
2009 had 22 battalions under
his command as opposed to the
usual 9 in a Division3 ”. He
is currently the Colonel of
the Gajaba Regiment and has
remained loyal to the former
Defence Secretary and
President’s brother, Gotabaya
Rajapaksa, after the War4 . He
was promoted to Adjutant
General of the Sri Lankan Army
in 2017 by the Sirisena
Government. In 2019, he was
appointed Army Chief of Staff5
. 22 Jun 1964: Date of Birth.
5 Mar 1984: Joined Sri Lankan
Army, aged 20. 1987: Head of
the Presidential Security Army
Unit. 1992: 2nd in Command of
8th Battalion of the Gajaba
Regiment in Mannar. 1998-90:
His unit was based in Elephant
Pass. 1995-6: (22 Aug 1995 - 1
Jan 19966 ) Commanding
Officer, 8th Battalion of the
Gajaba Regiment. 2008-9: In
the Vanni as Task Force 1
Commander, then 58 Division
Commander. Commanded the Air
Mobile Brigade Jan–Sep 2010:
Commander of the Commando
Regiment. Jul 2010: Promoted
as the youngest Major General
in the Sri Lankan Army and
became the Operations
Director7 . 2 para 116, OHCHR
Investigation into Sri Lanka
(OISL), Sep 2015,
A/HRC/30/CRP.2. 3 “In early
2009, Brig. Shavendra Silva
had about 22 battalions under
his command, though an
infantry Division comprised
three brigades each consisting
of three battalions”. P’karan
suffers irrevocable loss at
Anandapuram, 11 Dec 2012, The
Island,
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=68084
4
https://www.facebook.com/Major.General.shavendra.silva/posts/we-will-never-hand-over-this-war-to-the-next-generationpresident-mahinda-rajapa/815949115103954/
4 “Many felt that the Defence
Secretary, himself a one-time
commanding officer of the
first battalion of the Gajaba
Regiment, too, was supportive
of Brig. Silva.”
https://lrrp.wordpress.com/tag/58-Division/
5 President receives list of
nominees for Army’s CDS
position, Sri Lanka Mirror, 1
Jan 2019,
https://srilankamirror.com/news/12293-president-receives-list-of-nominees-for-army-s-cds-position
6
http://222.165.180.163/gajabaregiment/8-gajaba-regimen
7 Major General takes over as
the deputy head of the Sri
Lanka's UN Mission, 18 Oct
2010, JDS Lanka,
http://jdsrilanka.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/major-general-takes-over-as-deputy-head.html
5 2010-2015: Deputy Permanent
Representative to the United
Nations in New York, a
position that afforded him
diplomatic immunity from a
prosecution attempt made
against him for alleged war
crimes8 . 2010-2015
Alternative Representative of
Sri Lanka to the United
Nations Special Political and
Decolonization Committee 9.
2011: Speaks (on video) to
disparage British citizen,
Vani Kumar, and Sri Lankan
Government doctor, Dr.
Varatharajah, who appeared in
the Channel 4 documentary on
Sri Lanka10. 2015: Attended a
47-week course in National
Security and Strategic
Studies, Delhi11. 2017:
Promoted by President Sirisena
to Adjutant General of the Sri
Lankan Army. Mar 2017: The
Mullaitivu court refuses to
call Shavendra Silva to
testify in a mass-enforced
disappearance case12. May
2018: Silva is awarded another
medal on the anniversary of
the War end13. He oversees War
Anniversary celebrations14.
2018: Involved in running
military garment factory,
“Ranaviru Apparel”15. 9 Jan
2019: Appointed Chief of Army
Staff16 21 Jun 2019: Due to
retire." We'll have more on
this. US Rep Eliot Engel
who district includes portions
of The Bronx has said online @HouseForeign,
"I’m
concerned over
the
appointment of
Shavendra
Silva, named
by the UN as
playing a
major role in
orchestrating
war crimes, as
Sri Lanka’s
Army Chief of
Staff. This
could have
ramifications
for U.S.-Sri
Lanka defense
cooperation.
Appointing someone the UN
believes is a war criminal to
serve as Chief of Army staff
is how not to demonstrate your
sincerity in holding war
criminals accountable." But
what does today's UN believe?
The finding on Silva was under
Ban Ki-moon. At today's UN,
Guterres and his spokesmen are
refusing to answer the written
Sri Lanka questions of Inner
City Press, which Guterres has
had physically banned
from the UN hindering coverage
of for example China Energy
Fund Committee bribery. On the
morning of December 18 Inner
City Press in writing asked
Guterres and his spokesman
Stephane Dujarric, "December
18-1: On Sri Lanka, what is
the SG's comment and action
now that President Maithripala
Sirisena accused newly
reappointed Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe of
corrupt leadership in a
scathing speech in which he
voiced doubts about their
ability to work together and
signaled the two-month-long
political crisis is far from
resolved?" Two days later, no
answer to this or any other
Inner City Press question.
Instead, Dujarric waited until
the December 20 noon briefing
to read this out: "The
Secretary-General welcomes the
resolution of the political
crisis in Sri Lanka through
peaceful, constitutional
means, and applauds the
resilience of the country’s
democratic institutions.
The Secretary-General calls on
all political actors to seize
the opportunity of the
appointment of the new cabinet
to resolve outstanding
political differences in the
same spirit of respect for
democracy and in the interest
of the people of Sri Lanka."
Dujarric has tried to spin
supporters of Inner City
Press, at least those in
Europe, that even while
censoring he respects Inner
City Press keeping the Sri
Lanka issue alive in the UN
briefing room. No, he doesn't.
No answers on Sri Lanka in
weeks, even as Sri Lanka media
report a disorganized visit by
Mari Yamashita Asia Pacific
regional director of the UN
Department of Political
Affairs whose director
Rosemary DiCarlo's chief of
staff handed
the Departments website(s) to
her photographer husband,
still being covered up.
Guterres and the above named
enablers are killing the UN.
And what are they
accomplishing on Sri Lanka?
What are they even trying?
Inner City Press will continue
to asked - and to report. On
November 14,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN in
writing:
"November
14-1: On Sri
Lanka, what is
the SG's
comment and
action on that
“Sri Lanka’s
parliament
passed a
no-confidence
motion against
newly
appointed
Prime Minister
Mahinda
Rajapaksa on
Wednesday,
presenting a
standoff with
the opposition
and throwing
the country
deeper into
turmoil.
Deputies from
Rajapaksa’s
party rejected
the voice vote
as illegal”? On November
15, with lead
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric back
from a week long junket
to Japan with
no
transcript,
his deputy Farhan Haq
sent this: "On
question Nov
14-1, we can
say the
following: We
reiterate that
following
democratic
processes
remains the
only viable
way of
resolving
disagreements
in a peaceful
manner and
maintaining
the confidence
of Sri Lankan
people in the
rule of law
and
institutions.
We will
continue to
follow the
developments
in Sri Lanka
closely." We
publish it in
full,
immediately
after receipt.
Even
Guterres' earlier phone call
was portrayed as productive by
Sirisena, with no response
from Guterres. Inner City
Press which has been banned
from the UN for 134 days and
counting, which even Ban
Ki-moon didn't do, has been
asking Guterres spokesmen
about Sri Lanka where Sirisena
has now dissolved parliament,
not even reconvening it on
November 14. While delaying
answer Inner City Press'
questions on Sri Lanka - on
which spokesman Dujarric
disingenuously spins critics
that he respects Inner City
Press' coverage of - Guterres'
Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq
said - video here
after much delay -- "we
have been informed of the
latest developments. We
certainly hope that the
regular constitutional
procedures will be followed,
and we'll keep monitoring the
situation to see what happens
after that." Regular
constitutional procedures?
Now more than a day later - a
day late and a dollar short,
as they say - this from
Guterres via deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq, who did not answer
a single one of Inner City
Press' more than ten questions
on November 8 and 9 despite
USG Alison Smale's promise to
UNSR David Kaye that questions
will be answered, this: "The
Secretary-General learned with
concern of President
Maithripala Sirisena's
decision to dissolve Sri
Lanka's parliament and move to
new parliamentary elections on
5 January 2019.
The Secretary-General
underlines the utmost
importance of respecting
democratic processes and
institutions and resolving
differences in accordance with
the rule of law and due
process. He renews his call on
the Government to ensure peace
and safety for all Sri Lankans
and uphold its commitments to
human rights, justice and
reconciliation.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman
for the Secretary-General, New
York, 10 November 2018." Where
is Dujarric, who responded to
criticism of ban of Inner City
Press with lies but also an
admission that Inner City
Press alone kept in focus at
the UN briefing Sri Lanka as
well as Haiti, Burundi and the
UN Budget Committee? Now he
has banned Inner City Press
questions from the noon
briefing for 129 days and
counting. Guterres is
failing on Sri Lanka - and he
is poised to raise money on
December 5 for a committee
headed by the former landlord
of Rajapaksa's ambassador
Palitha Kahona, Giampaolo
Pioli, who despite or because
of this connection held a "UN
screening" of Rajapaksa's war
crimes denial film "Lies
Agreed To" in the the UN Dag
Hammasarkjold Library under
the banner of the UN
Correspondents Alliance. But
now Sirisena has given his
read out of the call,
characterizing it as very
positive for the "new
government." And now Kohona,
UN Censorship Alliance bigwig
Pioli's former tenant, has
gone public
in favor of the coup, and
China, seemingly like Guterres
who has yet to even audit
China Energy Fund Committee's
bribery in the UN: "trumpeting
the dangers posed by
Rajapaksa, allegedly an ally
of China. He has also been
described as authoritarian and
poer hungry. This may have
gone down well with certain
sections of the Indian
establishment but not
necessarily with the vast
majority of Sri Lankans who
entertain historical
sympathies for China. While it
is true that Rajapaksa
obtained significant loans
from China to fund development
projects, to characterise him
as pro China is a convenient
excuse for not understanding
him well or simply succumbing
to assessments provided by
Ranil and the NGO
community." And, “I had
a very successful telephone
conversation with the UN
Secretary General António
Guterres last evening. I
assured him that the
appointment of the new Prime
Minister has been done in
keeping with the Constitution
of Sri Lanka,” President
Sirisena tweeted after his
phone conversation.
He had met the UN Resident
Coordinator in Sri Lanka,
Hanaa Singer, the previous day
and apprised her of the
prevailing political situation
in Sri Lanka." Singer sings
the praises of Sirisena. On
October 31, as Guterres was
trying to get Inner City Press
thrown out of Park East
Synagogue before his speech,
Inner City Press sent his
spokesmen questions including
"October 31-4: On Sri Lanka,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that “Speaker Karu
Jayasuriya has written to
President urging him to
reconvene Parliament
immediately. In a letter to
the President, Jayasuriya said
that he has received a request
from 125 Parliamentarians to
reconvene Parliament. He said
that the political instability
in the country can be resolved
only by reconvening
Parliament”? While ignoring
the other questions including
about Guterres' attempted
censorship at the synagogue,
his deputy spokesman Farhan
Haq past 1 pm on November 2
sent this canned readout to
Inner City Press: "On your
question October 29-1, we have
the following: The
Secretary-General spoke by
telephone with H.E. Mr.
Maithripala Sirisena,
President of Sri Lanka, on 1
November. The
Secretary-General informed the
President that he was
following the latest
developments in Sri Lanka with
concern and offered assistance
in facilitating a dialogue
with all the parties to
resolve the situation. He
emphasized the Government’s
responsibility to ensure
peace, security and respect
for the rule of law. The
Secretary-General urged the
President to revert to
Parliamentary procedures and
allow the Parliament to vote
as soon as possible. He
encouraged the Government to
uphold its earlier commitments
to human rights, justice and
reconciliation, in line with
Human Rights Council
resolutions." In Sri Lanka it
was reported
that on the afternoon of
October 29 "US Ambassador to
Sri Lanka, and a Special Envoy
to the United Nations will
meet with Speaker Karu
Jayasuriya at Parliament at
3pm and 3.30pm respectively,
the Speaker's Office
confirmed." Inner City Press
asked Guterres Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric in writing,
"please immediately deny or
confirm if there is a UN
Special Envoy meeting the
Parliament speaker, if confirm
state who she or he is, with
whom including which states
the SG consulted, if he has
raised the crisis to the UNSC
and if not, why not, and last
week's UNanswered question on
the harassed Tamil
journalist(s)." The journalist
harassment question was not
answered - of course not - but
this came: "On question 29-1,
the Resident Coordinator met
with the Speaker of Parliament
and conveyed the importance of
respecting democratic values
and constitutional provisions
and the process, upholding the
rule of law and ensuring the
safety and security of all Sri
Lankans." An attempt to look
up the UN Resident Coordinator
on UNDP Sri Lanka's "About Us
- Our Team" page found only
Latin filler or nonsense,
photo here
("Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,"
etc.) Typical information
dead-zone from the UN, which
refuses to answer Inner City
Press' questions for days
despite a claimed
commitment this would
happen from Guterres' Under
Secretary General Alison Smale
to UN Special Rapporteur on
Freedom of Expression David
Kaye. There was an ascerbic
answer on October 30. Inner
City Press asked, "
October 30-2: On Sri Lanka,
please state the name of the
UN Resident Coordinator who
met the Parliament speaker
yesterday, and explain why the
UN Team website for country,
rather than having this name,
has Latin nonsense filler."
This was the only one of Inner
City Press' five new questions
on the day that Dujarric's
deputy Farhan Haq responded
to: "On question 30-2, RC
Hanaa Singer’s name is clearly
on the country team website."
But they still didn't fix the
"Our Team" site -they took
down the Latin (guilty
knowledge, mens rea) but now
it is simply blank. The RC is
Hanaa Singer, from Egypt, and
her Tweets gush about
Sirisena, nothing on the coup.
This is Guterres' "reformed"
UN system. Who might this UN
Special Envoy have been, if
Guterres had actually done
something? Previously the UN
sent Vijay Nambiar, who
participated in a murky way in
the White Flag killings. We'll
have more on this. In New
York, Giampaolo
Pioli
is the Chair of the 2018 UNCA
Awards honoring Antonio
Guterres, who has since
similarly sold out civilians
in Anglophone Cameroon, at
Cipriani's in a former bank on
42nd Street. The "insider"
tickets are $100 but for
corporations, including in the
past UN briber Ng Lap Seng,
much more. Now the new face of
UNCA Sherwin Bryce Pease is
trying to erase this history
with belated re-tweets of
Guterres' belated lame
comments on Sri Lanka, after
giving him and USG Alison
Smale their weak green light
to rough up and ban the Press
which asks about the slaughter
of the Tamils and Cameroon's
Anglophones and the UN's
failure. This is the UN
Censorship Alliance: not only
silent on but fully behind the
roughing
up and placing on a secret
permanently banned
from the UN list the Press
which asking about Sri Lanka,
Cameroon, and Guterres' use of
public funds and failure to
edit the UN bribery cases.
This has given rise to
question from the UN Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of
Expression David Kaye, here
- but nothing from this UNCA,
now the UN Censorship
Alliance. Their Executive
Committee members include but
are not limited to Valeria
Robecco, ANSA News Agency,
Melissa Kent,
CBC/Radio-Canada, Jianguo Ma,
Xinhua News Agency, Carole
Landry, Agence France Presse,
Seana Magee, Kyodo News, Nabil
Abi Saab, Al Hurra TV,
Michelle Nichols, Reuters,
Luke Vargas, Talk Media News
and Giampaolo Pioli,
Quotidiano Nazionale, etc.
We'll have more on this. Since
Inner City Press which has
covered the UN's failure on
Sri Lanka since 2008 has, only
under Guterres, been roughed
up and banned, despite a
dubious claim by Guterres'
Under Secretary General Alison
Smale to UNSR David Kaye that
e-mailed questions to
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric
would be answered, asked this
publicly:
"On Sri Lanka, question by
banned Inner City Press to
@AntonioGuterres
@StephDujarric that shouldn't
even have to be asked:
where is the UNSG statement on
coup & installation of war
crimes accusee Gotabaya
Rajapaksa as defense
minister?" For eighteen hours
from the UN, nothing. The US
came out with this, via State
Department Spokesperson
Heather Nauert: "The United
States continues to follow
developments in Sri Lanka with
concern. We urge all
sides to refrain from
intimidation and
violence. We call on the
President, in consultation
with the Speaker, to
immediately reconvene
parliament and allow the
democratically elected
representatives of the Sri
Lankan people to fulfill their
responsibility to affirm who
will lead their
government." By
contrast, after 18 hours, from
the UN this: "The
Secretary-General is following
the latest developments in Sri
Lanka with great concern. He
calls on the Government to
respect democratic values and
constitutional provisions and
process, uphold the rule of
law and ensure the safety and
security of all Sri Lankans.
The Secretary-General urges
all parties to exercise
restraint and address the
unfolding situation in a
peaceful manner." No
mention even of the Sirisena
goverrnment's "commitments,"
like Smale's, to the UN's
human rights mechanisms. The
question had been multiply
re-tweeted, and also garnered
some pro-Sinhala pro-Rajapaksa
trolling echoing threats Inner
City Press received amid its
previous Sri Lanka coverage.
When Inner City Press reported
that the UN Correspondents
Association's screening
of the Rajapaksa government's
war crimes denial film "Lies
Agreed To" inside the UN might
be viewed in the context of
the president of UNCA having a
financial, landlord - tenant
relation with Rajapaksa
diplomat Palitha Kohona
(himself involved in
communications around the
White Flag Killings), the UNCA
group began lobbying the UN
and Dujarric to throw Inner
City Press out of the UN -
which in fact took place this
year on July 3. We'll have
more on this - Guterres is
using the same group and
helping it raise more money,
while silent on the return of
the Rakapaksas. For now from
Guterres and his head of DPA
Rosemary DiCarlo, nothing -
canned statements on other
matters from an empty
mansion. The UN is
more and more irrelevant and
complicit, as in Cameroon.
Already, for example, the US
has said this: "The US is
following events in Sri Lanka.
We call on all parties to act
in accordance with SL’s
constitution, refrain from
violence, and follow due
process. We expect gov of SL
to uphold its Geneva
commitments to human rights,
reform, accountability,
justice, and reconciliation."
Guterres, coming in late,
didn't even mention the
government's commitments to
the UN. The Sri Lanka question
Inner City Press, subject to a
ban from the UN by Guterrs
which even Ban Ki-moon didn't
do, submitted before the coup
has not been answered or
acknowledged. Here is the
question - which Guterres'
Alison Smale has now three
times promised would be
answered - submitted by Inner
City Press to her, Stephane
Dujarric, Amina J. Monhammed
and others: "October 26-2: On
Sri Lanka, what is the SG's
comment and action on the fact
that Tamil journalist
Uthayarasa Shalin is being
harassed on entirely spurious
grounds in Jaffna, where he
reports for the Tamil Guardian
and Valampuri, ever
since he was summoned for
questioning at TID
headquarters in Colombo on
August 22. Ever since then,
Shalin has been the target of
constant harassment by the
police in Jaffna that has
included arrests and insults.
The acts of intimidation have
increased this month, with
five of his friends and
relatives being summoned for
interrogation by the TID,
including his brother Jelsin
on 17 October." No response.
The UN's record on Sri Lanka
gets worse and worse. UN
Peacekeeper chief Jean-Pierre
Lacroix has been multiply
informed including by Inner
City Press' in-person
questions before it was
roughed up and banned from the
UN that the Sri Lanka
government vetting of
peacekeepers the UN has relied
on has not been complied with.
Now on October 19, with Inner
City Press banned from the UN
by Secretary General Antonio
Guterres for the 108th day,
his spokesman Stephane
Dujarric said "in response to
previous question" - that
would be Inner City Press'
questions - he was disclosing
the the commander of the Sri
Lanka contingent in Mali is
being repatriated. Now Tamil
journalist Uthayarasa Shalin
is being harassed on entirely
spurious grounds in Jaffna,
where he reports for the Tamil
Guardian and Valampuri,
ever since he was summoned for
questioning at TID
headquarters in Colombo on
August 22. Per RSF he was not
allowed to bring his lawyer to
the first interrogation. [The
UN, when it purported to
interview Inner City Press on
July 10 about it being roughed
up on July 3 said nothing
could be recorded - then
refused to write up what was
said.] RSF said that ever
since then, Shalin has been
the target of constant
harassment by the police in
Jaffna that has included
arrests and insults. The acts
of intimidation have increased
this month, with five of his
friends and relatives being
summoned for interrogation by
the TID, including his brother
Jelsin on 17 October. At the
UN, correspondents tell Inner
City Press they have been
intimidated and are afraid to
ask about its ouster. The UN
Spokesman didn't give the
facts of the commander's war
crimes, and the one lame
follow up by scribe not banned
from the UN didn't elicit it.
A full two hours after the
briefing - and after their
scribe, one of Dooj's
Stooges, got out a vapid
story with no analysis of the
UN's failures in Sri Lanka in
2008 and since and on
intentional incomplete
vetting, based on no question
on their part, Dujarric's
deputy sent this to Inner City
Press: "regarding your earlier
question about a Sri Lankan
peacekeeper in Mali, we have
the following: Following a
review of the human rights
background of the commander of
the Sri Lankan contingent (Lt
Col Kalana Priyankara
Lankamithra Amunupure)
deployed to MINUSMA, the
Secretariat has requested the
Government of the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka to immediately
repatriate him to Sri Lanka.
This will be done at their
cost, as per normal
procedure. This decision
to repatriate the commander
was made by the UN following a
review, based on recently
received information.
The Secretariat remains
engaged with the Permanent
Mission on this matter." On
October 22, Inner City Press
asked in writing, because
banned by Guterres: "October
22-5: Sri Lanka says it will
“appeal” the repatriation of
Lt Col Amunupure. What are the
provisions, if any, for such
an appeal? Where is he now?
What more will the UN say
about what it found, and why
was only found
post-deployment?" And at 12:46
pm, this from the UN:
"Regarding question 22-5, the
relevant information on this
case is as follows: Following
a review of the human rights
background of the commander of
the Sri Lankan contingent (Lt
Col Kalana Priyankara
Lankamithra Amunupure)
deployed to MINUSMA, the
Secretariat has requested the
Government of the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka to immediately
repatriate him to Sri Lanka.
This will be done at their
cost, as per normal
procedure. This decision
to repatriate the commander
was made by the UN following a
review, based on recently
received information.
The Secretariat remains
engaged with the Permanent
Mission on this matter.
The Secretariat has requested
the government to urgently
identify a potential
replacement.
As for why the problem was
only found, post-deployment,
we can say the following:
The individual was screened by
the UN prior to deployment to
MINUSMA. New information
recently came to light, which
resulted in the UN’s
decision." The UN is still
covering up, or trying to.
This is the same UN whose UN
Correspondents Association
sponsored the goverment's war
crimes denial film "Lies
Agreed To" in the Dag
Hammarskjold Library
auditorium with Shavendra
Silva and Palitha Kohona. Now
this, from ITJPSL: "During the
final phase of Sri Lanka’s
civil war in 2009 Amunupure
was second in command of the
11th Sri Lanka Light Infantry
which operated under the 58th
Division. A UN Investigation
in 2015 found reasonable
grounds to say the 58th
Division was involved in the
repeated shelling of UN sites
and hospitals as well as the
killing of surrendees and
torture. Amunupure’s unit is
named in contemporaneous
sources, including governemnt
reports1, as having been
involved in the assaults on
Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) town
in February 2009 and
Putumattalan in March 2009,
both of which involved
extensive civilian casualties.
The UN report described
doctors in Putumattalan being
unable to reach the dead and
dying because of intense
shelling and gunfire. At the
time the ICRC, which rarely
makes public statements,
called the impact of the
military’s attacks on densely
populated civilian areas near
Putumattalan’s makeshift
hospital “nothing short of
catastrophic”. Amunupure was
despatched as commander of the
Sri Lankan contingent in Mali
in December 2017. At his
departure ceremony the Sri
Lankan army commander
described the UN assignment as
an international endorsement
of the military’s record. 'We
still don’t know how many tens
of thousands of Tamils died in
the 2009 war and not one
person has been held
accountable – maybe this small
step can give survivors a
little hope that one day they
will get justice. There is no
doubt this action sends a very
strong message to Sri Lanka
that alleged war criminals can
no longer be rewarded with
prestigious UN jobs and in
future will not escape
stringent vetting,' and
International Truth and
Justice Project’s executive
director, Yasmin Sooka. Inner
City Press was sent a copy of
the letters, and published
them - then asked UN Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric for the UN's
response. [See July 21
response, below.] On
July 30 UNSG
Antonio Guterres'
sleazy basis
for roughing
up and banning
Inner City
Press now for
life
(and the impending
UNGA week
which
Sirisena is slated
to attend
and pitch at)
was reported
in the Columbia
Journalist
Review, and
now the NY Post.
But on September
through Eri
Kaneko of his
Spokesperson's
Office, Guterres
offered this
shamefully
gushing read
out: "The
Secretary-General
met with H.E.
Maithripala
Sirisena, the
President of
the Democratic
Socialist
Republic of
Sri Lanka. The
Secretary-General
appreciated
the close
cooperation
between Sri
Lanka and the
United Nations
and thanked
Sri Lanka for
its
contribution
to United
Nations
peacekeeping
in particular.
The
Secretary-General
and the
President also
discussed Sri
Lanka’s
efforts in the
peace and
reconciliation
process. The
Secretary-General
offered
continued
support in
this regard.
They also
discussed the
implementation
of the 2030
Agenda for
Sustainable
Development."
Really.
Meanwhile
Sri Lanka which used
cluster munitions is now
President of
the Convention
on Cluster
Munitions. "In
Sri Lanka’s
case they have
driven many
de-miners and
UN staff out of
the country
and
effectively
silenced the
witnesses.
There are also many
victims among
recent
refugees
outside Sri
Lanka in
countries like Switzerland;
their
geographic
dislocation
should not
diminish their rights
as victims,”
said Jasmin
Sooka of ITJPSL.
“The
Convention
requires Sri
Lanka to
undertake a
victim survey
which should
include
victims abroad subject
to
internationally
recognized
witness
protection
provisions.”
Inner
City Press has
repeatedly
asked
Dujarric,
"September
17-2: It is
multiply
reported that
Sri Lanka
during the
upcoming high
level week
will make a
presentation
to the SG
about, among
other things,
limited the
currently
stated vetting
of Sri Lanka
troops for
participation
in alleged war
crimes. Please
state the date
of any meeting
of the SG with
President
Sirisena, and
state the UN's
/ SG's view of
the current
vetting
system,
including
seeming lack
of compliance
by Sri Lanka.
What is the
status of Sri
Lankan
deployments
and/or
rotations?" As of
September
20, no answer.
But this,
from JDS:
"Month Crime
Security
forces
Location July
2018
Abduction,
Torture
and Murder
3 Unknown
Mullaithivu
District
July 2018 Shot
dead Unknown
Mullaithivu
District
June 2018 Rape
of 2 children
(female)
18th National
Guard -Army
Batticaloa
District
June 2018
Torture of 2
men Police
Valvettithurai,
Jaffna
District
January 2018
Abduction
Unknown
Trincomalee
District
November 2017
Abduction in a
white van
Unknown group
Jaffna
District
November 2017
Attempted
white
van abduction
Unknown group
Colombo
District
Nov 2016- Sep
2017 9
extrajudicial
killings and 1
murder
No details
Several police
stations and
remand prison
July 2017
Attempted
white
van abduction,
Colombo Crimes
Division (CCD)
Colombo
April 2017
White van
abduction,
torture,
disappearance
Police Gampola
District
April 2017
Abduction of
teenage girl,
disappearance
Unknown
Kilinochchi
District
April 2017
White van
abduction and
disappearance
Unknown but
was due to
appear in
court
Jaffna
District
February 2017
Abduction in
black
van of
Sinhalese
trades union
leader
Unknown
Kalutara
District
January 2017 2
ex LTTE
rehabilitees
re- arrested
TID
Kilinochchi
District.
October 2016
Abduction and
Torture
Victim refused
to say. Family
suspect TID.
Kilinochchi
District.
Inconvenient
Truths: the
newspapers
they didn’t
read | JDS
August 2016
Abduction of
ex
Unknown A9
LTTE cadre May
2016 - gagana
Protests
against 2
abductions in
white van
4
Ampara
District
July 2016
Abduction in
white
van and
torture
Jaffna
Peninsula
April 2016
White van
abduction
Unknown
security
forces
Unknown Jaffna
Peninsula
April 2016
White van
abduction
TID
Thirukkovil
April 2016
White van
abduction
Jaffna
Peninsula
Abduction of
TNA youth wing
leader April
2016 11
Abductions –
probably
including Sri
Lanka Campaign
names
North
April 2016
Abduction
Trincomalee
April 2016
Abduction in
white
van of 2 ex
LTTE fishermen
Edward Julien
related
Jaffna
Peninsula
April 2016
Abduction of 3
ex
LTTE
North
Dec 2015
Report that
Families
threatened
Found in TID
custody in
Colombo
Military
Intelligence"
In Sri Lanka,
the chickens
may be
coming home
Mahinda Rajapaksa
with whom the
UN partnered - even as now
under Antonio
Guterres there
is no accountability in the
UN, see below.
Now even
the UN
Committee Against
Torture
has gone
public with
the "new"
government's
failure to provided
requested information
on "Mr.
Mendis’s role
and
responsibilities
with regard to
allegations of
torture while
he was Deputy
Inspector
General of the
Criminal
Investigation
Department."
We hope to
have more on
this.
(At the UN,
nothing has
been done to
Dobbins, and
still no
names.) Noyahr
was abducted
in May 2008
and was
severely
assaulted
before being
set free. The
former
Associate
Editor of The
Nation
newspaper fled
the country
with his
family
following the
incident
fearing for
his life." That,
it seems, is
what Guterres' UN
is trying.
Guterres'
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric in an article
published July
30 by the
Columbia
Journalism
Review was quoted
that " Lee
Periscoped
while
shouting, 'Fuck
you!'
repeatedly.
(Lee says he
was
complaining
that Dujarrac
had given the
Al Jazeera
crew a private
interview, and
excluded him.)
'He
creates an
atmosphere of
incivility
within our
working
environment,'
Dujarrac says."
This is a lie.
Inner City
Press on June 19
when Dujarric
gave a "private
briefing" to Al
Jazeera about
Nikki Haley
and Mike
Pompeo
announcing the
US pull out
from the UN
Human Right
Council said
in the hall
that is was a
"sleazefest."
After closing
the door of
the focus booth
it has been
confined to work in
for two years
by
Dujarric, and long
after the Al
Jazeera trio
including
James Bayes
and Whitney
Hurst were
done, said on
Periscope, F-You. Periscope
video - still
online
during this 27
day "investigation" -
here.
So
Dujarric is a
censor,
justifying the
beating up and
banning of a
journalist for
something he
broadcast in
a soundproof
booth to his
audience. This
is disgusting, all
the more so
because as
Inner City
Press has reported,
Dujarric told
an
interlocutor
on June 20,
before the two
beat-downs of
Inner City Press,
that things
would be worse
for it. Guterres and
Dujarric and
it seems Smale
are.. thugs. Disgusting.
On Sri
Lanka,
the CJR
article quotes
Inner City
Press: "The UN
pulled its
officers out
of the north
there before a
2008 ethnic
cleansing of
the Tamil
people, and
then
underreported
the genocide.
Forty or fifty
thousand
people dead.
The Sri Lankan
government was
shooting
missiles at
hospitals. Ban
Ki-moon
admitted it." All
true. All
Dujarric said, at noon on
April 6, is that he would
check to see that the letter
has been received. More than
72 hours later, he had not
provided even that
confirmation. On July 17,
after Lacroix' and Dujarric's
boss Antonio Guterres had
twice ousted and now banned
Inner City Press from the UN
for two weeks and counting, Fox
News story here,
GAP blogs I
and II,
Independent
here, arrogant
July 20 no
answer here. Independent here,
arrogant
July 20 no
answer
here, Inner
City Press in writing asked
Dujarric and his deputy Farhan
Haq, "please provide an update
on the (second tier of)
vetting of Sri Lanka troops
whose deployment was
reportedly deployed.
Relatedly, confirm or deny
that the Indian army unit
based in Uri that was struck
and struck Kashmir is no
longer being deployed
to MONUSCO, and the UN's
reasoning." The noon briefing
Inner City Press was banned
from had few questions, none
like this, further showing the
decline of Guterres'
spokesmen's full access
colloquy partner, here;
three days later Haq had not
provided any written answer.
(But, while Guterres refused
to answer on his ban of Inner
City Press after saying
"bonnes vacances" to Lacroix,
the latter remained chatting
with UK Ambassador Karen
Pierce on 44th Street,
pointedly not responding to a
statement about sexual
exploitation and abuse by the
peacekeepers he is responsible
for, video here.
On July 21, Inner City Press
raised the lack of answers,
and asked where Guterres is
going for weeks: "July 21-1:
where will the UN Secretary
General be from July 23
through August 3? How much is
it costing the public? USG
Smale, also now on three week
vacation, has claimed that the
SG's spokesmen are answering
Inner City Press' email
questions. First, for example,
none of the four questions
submitted yesterday morning,
24 hours ago, has been
answered. Second, even if
these e-mailed questions were
all being answered it does not
make up for denying Inner City
Press the right not only to
attend the noon briefing and
other press conferences, but
the stakeouts at the Security
Council and elsewhere, such as
the Budget Committee meeting
stakeout I was physically
ousted from on July 3. It's 18
days of outright censorship,
and counting." Six hours
later, only a response on Sri
Lanka, four days after that
question was asked. Here it
is: "Regarding your question
on Sri Lankan troops, we can
say the following: The
Secretariat (DPKO-DFS and
OHCHR) is working with the
Government of Sri Lanka and
all stakeholders, in
particular the national Human
Rights Commission, to
facilitate the establishment
of a domestic screening
process that complies with the
requirements of the Policy on
Human Rights Screening of
United Nations Personnel. In
this regard, DPKO met with Sri
Lankan stakeholders in Colombo
last month. Compliance with
the policy requirements is
necessary before the UN can
receive any further
deployments or rotations from
Sri Lanka. It is important
that all necessary procedures
and institutional arrangements
are in place so that the
domestic screening process can
meet these requirements.
National stakeholders are
working on finalizing and
formally approving their
standard operating procedures
in line with these
requirements, and we are
supporting them in
this." The UN under
Guterres is failing. On May
16, Inner City Press asked
Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq
and there was something of an
answer. Video here;
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: there
has been a long, outstanding
issue raised to DPKO about Sri
Lankans that were sent
unvetted by the Government to
Lebanon and another commander
that was sent to one of the
missions in Africa. Does
DPKO have an answer on that
yet? Deputy Spokesman:
"regarding the question of the
Sri Lankans, as of the past
week, the Human Rights
Commission of Sri Lanka was
conducting an additional tier
of vetting for 49 Sri Lankan
officers who have been already
deployed to the UN Mission in
Lebanon, UNIFIL. The
Human Rights Commission of Sri
Lanka is undertaking their
vetting and the vetting of the
remaining 101 military
personnel of the unit who are
scheduled to be
deployed. We are working
together with the Government
of Sri Lanka to ensure that
the screening arrangements
with the Human Rights
Commission of Sri Lanka comply
with UN policy.
Compliance with these
arrangements will be required
before the UN can receive any
further deployments or
rotations from Sri Lanka." But
the chair of the HRCSL has
questioned what the UN meant
or means by "additional tier."
On May 22, Inner City Press
asked Guterres' spokesman
Dujarric, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: on Sri
Lanka, on these… those who
were deployed without being
vetted, it was said, I think
it was last week, that somehow
an additional tier of… of
vetting is going to be done by
the Human Rights Commission of
Sri Lanka. They've said
— this is a direct quote by
the Chairperson — that they
don't know what the UN means
by an additional tier since
there was… had been no vetting
whatsoever to begin with, and
so they're… it's unclear to
them…
Spokesman: Let me look
into it." Hours later,
nothing.
***
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