Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

On Sri Lanka, As UN Further Delays Release of Report, Pascoe Tells Press He Didn't Know - So Nambiar In Charge?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 -- In a loss of nerve that sadly is not surprising, the UN Secretariat on Thursday delayed its noon briefing in the expectation that it would belatedly release its Panel of Experts' report on war crimes in Sri Lanka -- and then did not release the report.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq came in half an hour late and said that he “still expects” the report's release, but it did not happen at the briefing. He said Sri Lanka is being given another chance to submit a response.

Inner City Press asked about Haq's statement just the previous day, April 20, that while the UN was “expecting that there will be a response from the Government of Sri Lanka... That doesn’t need to tie our hands down regarding when we are going to put out this report. As we have said repeatedly, we’ll put it out this week.”

Haq said it is only Thursday. But Friday is a UN holiday (and UN staff get “early release” on Thursday). In any event, was it true that the UN's hands weren't tied down?

After asking more questions at the “noon” briefing, Inner City Press ran to the Security Council and caught up with the head of Ban's Department of Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, coming out of the morning's meeting on the Middle East.

Inner City Press told Pascoe that the Sri Lanka report had not, in fact, been released.

“You've told me something I didn't know,” Pascoe told Inner City Press. “I've been busy.”

Why was it not released?

“I'll find out,” Pascoe said, leaving.

It seems clear that Ban's chief political adviser wasn't told that the report wouldn't be released. Ban is traveling to Russia. So who made the decision?

Sources tell Inner City Press of the involvement, still allowed by Ban, of Vijay Nambiar, whose role in the so called white flag murders of surrenderees in Sri Lanka has been described in a filing to the International Criminal Court.

Ban and Nambiar, Pascoe and Sri Lanka report not shown

This UN sinks lower and lower. Inner City Press asked Haq if the Panel of Experts will hold a press conference and answer questions, as was done by Ban's Panel on the murder of Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan.

The Sri Lanka panel has disbanded, Haq said. Watch this site.

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At UN on Sri Lanka Report, Agencies Prepared, Portugal Only Against Leaks

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 -- With the UN Panel of Experts' Sri Lanka report expected to be released April 21 at noon, Inner City Press is told that a meeting was held at 4 pm on April 20 with UN agencies, to get them “on the same page” about the report.

Meanwhile, contrary to reports that Portugal opposed mention of the Sri Lanka in the Security Council on April 18, Inner City Press is told by Portugal's Mission to the UN that the only raised the issue that “an NGO” gave the Portuguese Ambassador (some of) the report.

On the evening of April, Sri Lankan Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona told Inner City Press that an NGO gave the report to the Portuguese Ambassador, and it appeared a pro government publication.

(The same publication reported that the report was handed to Sri Lanka's Shavendra Silva by Vijay Nambiar, whose role in the so called white flag murders of surrendees is described in a filing with the International Criminal Court. More on this to follow.)

But Portugal was only speaking about the leak, not criticizing the report or its official release.

At 10 a.m. on April 21, Inner City Press e-mailed UN spokesmen Farhan Haq and Martin

“This is a request to be told as soon as the Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka is released or made available by the UN. Also please state the role of Mr. Nambiar in reviewing the report, please disclose how much was spent by the UN in preparing the report, please state whether the Panel or any member traveled to Sri Lanka and if not, why not, and please deny or confirm and describe any meeting by any Sri Lanka government official since the Panel's work began. Please confirm receipt of these requests.”

But more than an hour and a half later, not even confirmation of receipt had been received. A Security Council Deputy Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that the report should be released today, “Pascoe said so in the Council.” Watch this site.

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On Sri Lanka, UN's Explanation of Non-Release Shifts, 3 Weeks After Panel Finished Report

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 20 -- The UN's story about their delay in releasing the Panel of Experts' report on Sri Lanka got even more convoluted on April 20.

Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq to explain the delay between the Panel's sign off date on the report as obtained and published by Inner City Press (but not The Island), March 31, and the April 12 turn off to Ban, and April 13 to Sri Lanka.

The UN's Haq said, “I won't have a comment on the time frames.”

Then he tried to explain the delay by referring to Ban Ki-moon's travels -- for example to Hungary and now Russia, where Haq has declined to say if Sri Lanka will be discussed. Haq said, “The panel wanted to present to S-G... He has had a number of travels.”

Inner City Press asked if anyone in the UN -- for example, Ban's senior adviser Vijay Nambair, whose role in the so called white flag killings of surrendees at the end of the conflict has been described in a filing with the International Criminal Court -- saw the report between its March 31 sign off date and April 12.

Haq did not say no, instead choosing to re-focus on Ban Ki-moon not having gotten it until “Monday.” (Actually, according to the UN it was Tuesday, April 12 -- Inner City Press reported on April 11 it would be the next day, April 12).

But then Haq spoke about the UN's senior advisers -- no mention of Ban -- getting a response together. Nambiar, it seems clear, has not been recused.

The UN tried to explain the delayed release -- after having told General Shavendra Silva that Sri Lanka had 24 then 36 hours -- as waiting for the government's response.

But then Haq says there is no need to wait. The fact remains: the report was signed off on by the Panel three weeks ago, and Ban has allowed Sri Lanka to control its leaked release and to call for mass protests. Watch this site.

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On Sri Lanka, UN Gave 196 Pages to Silva, Asked 24 Then 36 Hours, Got Played

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 19 -- On Sri Lanka, with the UN Secretariat in seeming paralysis holding back the war crimes Panel of Experts' report five full days after portions were leaked, presumptively by the government, to The Island newspaper, sources have described the process to Inner City Press.

The report, they say, is 196 pages long. On April 11, Inner City Press learned that it would be handed to Ban Ki-moon on April 12. After it was, it was also provided -- on hard copy only -- to Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative, General Shavendra Silva, who is himself implicated in war crimes in the final stages of the conflict.

The UN told Shavendra Silva that Ban would be releasing the report in 24 hours, sources tell Inner City Press. Silva responded that the Sri Lankan government wanted or needed “a little more time.” The UN replied that it would give 36 hours, tops.

But the 36 hours came and went. And by then a scan of the hard copy had been provided to The Island, a newspapers with agrees with President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Island ran it, with typos as identified by Inner City Press.

Inexplicable to many, Ban and the UN Secretariat even then did not release the report. They held it over the weekend, and did not release it either Monday or Tuesday. They have, many say, undermined the report.

The Experts, too, have done their part. Their report as excerpted says that all international staff left an area, then has international staff witnessing the shelling of a medical facility. This will be fodder for the government's response. But the government of Rajapaksa has already responded, with a call for mass protests against the UN report on May 1.

Why did Ban do this? Why did he never call for a ceasefire? Why did he send Nambiar as his envoy, and still allow him to be involved after his role in the so-called white flag killings of surrenderees? What will Ban discuss with Russia on his upcoming visit? How might this all be used to assure a second term as Secretary General? Watch this site.

Footnote: beyond misleading about the meeting of Attorney General Mohan Peiris with Ban's now invisible panel, it's reported that during that secret session, the UN agreed to give Sri Lanka some extra weeks before the filing of the report. It was extended to April 12, the day before the New Year in Sri Lanka, when all of the above then happened. One couldn't have done more to undermine a war crimes report.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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