By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
14, more
here -- On
this Saturday
at 1 pm in
Washington, US
State Department
Jen Psaki told
the press,
"The United
States
condemns the
attack on the
Russian
Embassy in
Kyiv, and
calls on
Ukrainian
authorities to
meet their
Vienna
convention
obligations to
provide
adequate
security."
But seven
hours later,
not only was
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon silent
on the issue,
the UN
Security
Council had
not issued its
boilerplate
Press
Statement
about the
“inviolability
of diplomatic
missions under
the Vienna
Convention" of
1963.
When embassies
are attacked,
these
statements are
routine. If
one is blocked
here, what is
the message?
While Ban
Ki-moon stayed
silent on the
embassy, he
issued a
statement
condemning "in
the strongest
terms the
downing of an
Ukrainian
military
airplane today
in Lugansk,
killing 49
people."
If these
events, or
decisions to
block
statements on
attacks on
embassies, are
being linked,
what is the
precedent?
When asked of
the killings
in Odessa on
May 2, or the
more recent jet
bombing of
Luhansk,
the UN tells
the Press to
wait for the
June 17 report
of the Office
of the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights.
Navi Pillay,
leaving that
post on August
31, in her
June 10 last
opening
statement to
the Human
Rights Council
said, "In
Ukraine, the
UN response to
the crisis
stepped up as
the situation
deteriorated
in February
2014. My
Office swiftly
deployed a
human rights
monitoring
mission that
has so far
issued two
reports, with
concrete
recommendations
including
guarantees for
the
implementation
of minority
rights. I hope
that the new
Government
will address
the human
rights
challenges in
Ukraine, and I
encourage it
to devise a
comprehensive
human rights
reform plan
that includes
accountability
for
violations."
In other parts
of her speech,
Pillay
mentioned
specifics,
including for
example on the
deadly mine
accident in
Turkey. But on
Ukraine,
nothing on jet
bombings or
the asserted
use of
chloroform in
Odessa.
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon has
nominated to
replace Pillay
Prince Zeid,
who has
represented
and spoken for
Jordan on the
Security
Council since
January. On
Ukraine, what
has he said of
the jet
bombing, of
Odessa, of the
detention and
shelling death
of journalists
attributed to
the
government?
He is set to
be voted on -
or approved by
acclamation -
on June 16.
Watch this
site.
Background:
Of the UN's
last report on
Ukraine, dated
May 16,
much
much has been
said. Here is
what is said
about the
events of May
2 in Odessa:
“63. On
2 May, a
national unity
rally gathered
around 1,500
people,
including many
fans from the
football clubs
of
Chornomorets
Odesa and
Metalist
Kharkiv, as
well as city
residents.
Among the
crowd there
were
reportedly
also some
radical
members of the
Right Sector
and Maidan
self-defence
unit armed
with bats and
metal sticks.
Shortly after
the rally
began, the
latter were
provoked by
approximately
300
well-organized
and armed
pro-federalism
activists; the
rally turning
into a mass
disorder,
which lasted
for several
hours. As a
result, four
protesters in
support of
Ukraine were
killed by
gunshots (a
fifth died
later in the
hospital from
his injuries).
Many were
injured during
the afternoon
(mostly
protesters
supporting
federalism).
During the
evening,
violent
clashes
between the
two sides
continued on
the main
square
(Kulikove
polje), which
ended in a
fire a at the
Trade Union
building where
protesters
supporting
federalism had
taken refuge.
As a result of
the events, 46
people died of
whom 30
(including 6
women) were
trapped and
unable to
leave the
burning
building and 8
(including one
woman) died
from jumping
out of the
windows. In
total, 38 died
at the scene
of the fire.
At least 230
were injured.”
While
not
attributing
the setting of
the fire which
targeted
“pro-federalism”
activists, the
UN report says
that these
“armed”
pro-federalism
activists
“provoked” the
Right Sector.
Ivan
Simonovic is
in Ukraine,
but will only
go to Odessa
AFTER today's
report
has been
released.
Inner City
Press has previously
reported on
what OHCHR
sources have
said are
Simonovic's
moved to try
to become
Pillay's
successor
(there are
other
candidates;
more on that
soon).
Now sources
say with
Eastern Europe
in line to
pick the
successor to
Ban Ki-moon as
UN Secretary
General,
Simonovic may
be vying for
the UN's top
post alongside
Irina Bokova
and others,
including non
Eastern
Europeans
Helen Clark of
UNDP and Kevin
Rudd of, well,
Kevin Rudd,
who'd like to
compete with
Kamel Morjane,
long time
associate of
Ben Ali in
Tunisia, to
replace
Lakhdar
Brahimi on
Syria.
Ah,
politics.
Tellingly,
when
US Voice of
America wrote
up the UN
report, here,
it didn't even
mention Odessa
(or Odesa),
citing only
anti-government
groups. There
is legislation
pending in the
US Congress to
confirm that
Voice of
America must
follow the US
line -- but
isn't that
already the
case?
In full
disclosure,
Voice of
America along
with UN
Correspondents
Association
executive
committee
members from
Reuters and
Agence France
Presse sought
to get Inner
City Press
thrown out of
the UN,
as documented
by Freedom of
Information
Act inquiries.
Click here (VOA letter to current UN spokesman),
here
(AFP) and
here
for VOA about
Reuters'
support, here's
Reuters bureau
chief asking
Google to ban
from Search
his “for the
record”
complaint to
the UN
against Inner
City Press:
censorship.
As a
human rights
irony, these
same and UNCA's
executive
committee set
up a kangaroo
court to
prosecute
Inner City
Press for its
reporting
on
Sri Lanka war
criminals and
conflicts of
interest, here.
Ah,
human rights.
Watch this
site.
, 
