Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

On Sudan Sanctions, China Criticizes Chairman, Says He Can't Send Report for Committee

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 21, updated with Q&A -- China is contesting the right of the UN Sudan Sanctions Committee to transmit to the full Security Council its most recent report, which “presumes” the use of Chinese bullets in Darfur, without having unanimous consent.

  Despite "Western" media reports that China lost this fight on October 20, on the morning of October 21 a Chinese diplomat told Inner City Press that in the past, the reports have been transmitted on behalf of the Committee, and not by its chairman in his personal capacity.

   “He can't do that,” the Chinese diplomat flatly said.

   Asking for a response, the Committee's chairman, Austria's Ambassador to the UN Thomas Mayr-Harting told Inner City Press that the Committee will proceed "according to the rules, as it always has." He did not comment on the difference between transmittal "on behalf of the Committee" or in his personal capacity.

    The Chinese diplomat also criticized the Committee's chairman, Austria's Ambassador to the UN Thomas Mayr-Harting, for deferring too much to the members of the Panel of Experts. China believes that whatever the Experts' academic pedigree, the Experts work under the supervision of the 15 countries on the Council and Committee.

  “We will accept the Committee's findings if they can prove them,” the Chinese diplomat told Inner City Press. “But they can't just presume, can't just say 'presumably from China.'”

  The subtext is that of late, on issues such as the South Suden secession referendum slated for January 9, China as well as Russia have not objected, even to such “over the top” events as US Ambassador Susan Rice rallying with South Sudanese police trainees in Rejaf outside Juba earlier this month.

Mayr-Harting, back to camera, w/ Deputies of US & UK, China not shown

  But, some say, if the Western countries continue pushing on this Sanctions report, the relative ease on South Sudan and other issues may come to an end. Watch this site.

Footnote: some are pointing to a US violation of sanctions, when North Korean tank parts were allowed in to Ethiopia while it was intervening in Somalia. There were also UK arms sales to Sri Lanka in the run up to what then UN humanitarian chief John Holmes called the “bloodbath on the beach.” We favor transparency -- but also, no double standards. To be continued.

Full "Q&A" --

Q: Reuters reported that, according to a Security Council diplomat, the latest report of the Panel of Experts on Sudan says a dozen brands of bullet casings found at sites of attacks on U.N./African Union peacekeepers in Darfur came from China, and that China has tried to block its publication. Does the Chinese Mission have any comment?

Yutong LIU, Chief Press Officer Chinese Mission to the UN: “The latest report of the Panel Of Experts on Sudan has serious drawbacks. A number of references in the report are not based on facts and lack of solid evidence. Some of the conc1usions of the report are vague and unclear. Some are even based on the Panel’ s own conjecture and presumption. This is not consistent with the requirements of the Security Council that the Panel of Experts should carry out its work in a responsible, objective, impartial and professiona1 manner. The Panel of Experts uses a large amount of UN budget and resources every year. It should improve its performance.

“China takes a prudent and responsible attitude towards its arms export and has always fulfilled its obligations under Security Council resolutions. Around 800 Chinese peacekeepers are currently deployed in Sudan. China attaches great importance to their safety and security. What was said by the so-called Security Council diplomat as quoted by the Reuters is not inline with the fact, illogical and lacks common sense. The diplomat was even afraid of disclosing the name of his/her own country, which clearly demonstrates that the diplomat has no confidence in what he/she said and he/she is not credible. I don’t want to presume who has provided the Reuters with the above mentioned information. Such Old-fashioned trick only testifies to the stereotyped prejudice against the developing countries.”

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