On Sri
Lanka, UN's
Ban to Meet
Samaraweera,
Kohona Leaving
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 12 --
After Sri
Lanka's new
government
spoke of doing
another local
investigation
into war
crimes in
2009, and
asking for a
suspension of
the UN Human
Rights Council
process, Inner
City Press on
February 12
asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman for
the UN's
position. Video here.
First, Inner
City Press asked whether
Sri Lanka's
Palitha Kohona
is leaving the
UN:
Inner
City Press:
yesterday, he
met with
Ambassador
Kohona of Sri
Lanka. I
couldn't tell
if that was a
farewell call
or not.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
It was indeed
a farewell
call.
Inner City
Press:
And did the
issue of not
pursuing the
Human Rights
Council
investigation
into Sri Lanka
arise?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
It was,
indeed, a
farewell
call. I
mean, the
Secretary-General's
position on
the, on the
human rights
investigation
is
unchanged.
He's obviously
aware that the
new
administration
is considering
setting
domestic
accountability
mechanisms and
will be
carefully
assessing
these
developments.
The
Secretary-General
has stressed
the importance
of Sri Lanka
establishing
credible
mechanisms
that meet
international
standards.
Advancing
accountability,
like other
parts of the
post-war
agenda in Sri
Lanka, will
lay the basis
for the
country to
make further
progress on
peace,
democracy and
development.
The UN stands
ready, as
always, to
support Sri
Lanka's
efforts to
address the
post-war
agenda as we
have
consistently
affirmed.
It's a
question that
when
raised, here,
to the US
State
Department
went so far
unanswered.
New foreign
minister
Mangala
Samaraweera is
set to meet
with Ban on
February 13.
Watch this
site.
Back on
January 12 the
UN said that
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon made
this call:
"The
Secretary-General
congratulated
President
Sirisena’s
election and
the successful
conclusion of
the
presidential
election. The
Secretary-General
and President
Sirisena
discussed the
President’s
100-day plan
and Sri
Lanka’s
post-war
agenda. The
Secretary-General
affirmed
continuous
support by the
UN to Sri
Lanka."
That is, the
UN's read-out
of Ban's call
had no mention
of
accountability
or of the UN
Human Rights
Council
inquiry into
the bloodbath
on the beach
in 2009. We'll
have more on
this.
After
Mahinda
Rajapaksa
conceded
defeat but
before 10:30
pm on January
8 in
Washington, US
Secretary of
State issued a
statement,
below.
Inner City
Press
published it,
and asked the
UN for its
comment. Told
to expect one
in the AM, New
York time,
Inner City
Press noted,
the earlier
the better.
Twelve hours
later, there
was nothing.
So Inner City
Press asked
again at the
noon briefing
on January 9,
after new
President
Sirisena's
inauguration.
UN Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
said the UN
welcomes the
transfer of
power, then
later in the
briefing read
out this
statement:
"The
Secretary-General
congratulates
the people of
Sri Lanka on
the successful
conclusion of
the
presidential
election, and
welcomes the
constitutional
transfer of
power.
"The
Secretary-General
applauds the
Sri Lankan
Elections
Commission for
its
professionalism
in ensuring a
peaceful and
credible
election. He
also commends
the efforts of
the
candidates,
including in
particular
outgoing
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa, law
enforcement
agencies and
civil society
for upholding
and respecting
democratic
governance.
"The
Secretary-General
looks forward
to working
with President
Maithripala
Sirisena and
the people of
Sri Lanka. He
affirms the
continuous
support of the
United Nations
for
development,
reconciliation,
political
dialogue and
accountability
in Sri Lanka."
Inner City
Press
immediately
asked Haq if
what this
reference to
accountability
portends for
the UN inquiry
into the
events in
2009. We'll
have more on
this.
Amnesty
International
has said that
"Sri Lanka has
for years
resisted all
international
efforts to
investigate
the conflict
years, and
instead relied
on domestic
investigation
bodies that
toed the
government
line. This has
to end – the
new government
should
cooperate
fully with the
UN
investigation.”
Watch this
site.
In other
possible
routes to
accountability,
talk of
seeking
justice in US
courts as to
several joint
American
citizens in
Team Rajapaksa
- or on the
team during
the 2009
"Bloodbath on
the Beach" --
has picked up.
Some team
members have
reportedly
already left
the country:
we'll have
more on this.
Kerry
said:
STATEMENT BY
SECRETARY
KERRY
January 8,
2015
Conclusion of
Sri Lankan
Elections and
Election of
Maithripala
Sirisena
The Sri Lankan
people deserve
great credit
on the
successful
conclusion of
their
elections.
They turned
out in great
numbers to
exercise their
democratic
rights and
every vote was
a victory for
Sri Lanka.
The United
States
applauds the
Sri Lankan
Elections
Commissioner,
the security
forces, Sri
Lankan civil
society, and
the candidates
themselves for
making sure
this election
was not marred
by unrest and
for ensuring a
significant
drop in
campaign-related
violence. It
will be
important for
that effort to
continue in
the coming
days.
I commend
President
Rajapaksa for
accepting the
results of the
election in
the proud
tradition of
peaceful and
orderly
transfers of
power in Sri
Lanka. His
words tonight
about
accepting the
verdict of the
people and
moving forward
are important.
I look forward
to working
with
President-elect
Maithripala
Sirisena as
his new
government
works to
implement its
campaign
platform of a
Sri Lanka that
is peaceful,
inclusive,
democratic,
and
prosperous."
It's
done. But what
does it
portend for
the
Rajapaksas'
military /
diplomatic
corps, like
Shavendra
Silva and in
New York,
Palitha
Kohona?
, 
