Amid
Tear Gas, UN Lets Stand Sri Lanka Claim of Its Congratulations, UN's
"Good Journalism" Guide
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 11 -- As in Sri Lanka the Rajapaksa administration
deploys tear gas against those protesting its arrest of Sarath
Fonseka, in New York Inner City Press asked if the UN had any
comment. Video here, from Minute 8:46.
UN
spokesman
Martin Nesirky reiterated his version of Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's telephone call to Mahinda Rajapaksa. But then did the UN
or
Mr. Ban, Inner City Press asked, take issue with the Sri Lankan
government's
press release about the call, that it involved Ban
congratulating Mahinda Rajapaka, without any mention of the arrest of
Fonseka or the tear gassing of his supporters? Video here,
from Minute 8:46.
"Governments
will characterize... as they see fit," Nesirky said.
But
what if the
press coverage adopts the government's version of the call, and the
UN is portrayed as totally (and not just partially) in bed with
human rights abuses?
Inner City
Press mentioned instances where the
UN, even under Ban, has taken issue with statements by governments,
of Sudan and Zimbabwe for example. So does the silence now mean the
UN and Ban are satisfied with the Rajapaksas' summary?
"That's
not
what I said, don't put words in my mouth," Nesirky protested. Video here,
from Minute 10:44.
Another
journalist
asked Nesirky for a more "philosophical" response about
when governments mis-use their communications or even photo ops with
the UN.
"I
am not a
philosopher," Nesirky. He then returned to the Sri Lanka issue,
saying that "the coverage was rather balanced," including
both the read out of the Secretary General and the government. Mr.
Nesirky said pointedly, "That's what good journalists do." Video here,
from Minute 12:40.
Leaving
aside the
question of whether the UN and its spokesman should be opining on
what and how journalists should report, it seems strange for anyone
to equate "good journalism" with merely presenting side by side
the UN's version and the government's version, that Ban congratulated
Rajapaksa while he cracked down on his opponents and the independent
press. Does that mean both versions are equally true?
Sri Lankan forces use batons on protesters, UN "congratulations"
not shown
It
is a win - win
situation then. Ban can say he spoke about due process, and Mahinda
Rajapaksa can say he was congratulated by the UN while cracking down
on his opponents. Each side gets what it wants. Could this be Ban's
UN kabuki theater?
Footnotes:
Ban's versions is that he called for due process. But after the call,
presidential brother and Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said
that Fonseka "is guilty" of treason, predicting a five year
sentence. When the president's brother declares a person guilty
before any trial or even showing of evidence, it doesn't sound like
"good" due process. Will the UN have anything to say?
Again, on both
February 8 and 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's
spokesman Martin Nesirky if Vijay Nambiar is, officially or de facto,
now in charge of the UN's Sri Lanka policy, given reports that calls
from the Rajapaksa administration to Mr. Ban were referred to Mr.
Nambiar. (It concerned trying to cancel a UN press conference by
Philip Alston, about summary executions by the Sri Lankan army.)
Numerous
observers,
most recently a forthcoming TV documentary, have opined that
Nambiar's involvement in Sri Lanka in 2009 was inappropriately
pro-Rajapaksa, and worse. Nesirky at the Monday and Tuesday noon
briefings this week has said he would get to the bottom of the
question of the call and roles, but has not. On Wednesday there was
no noon briefing due to snow. On Thursday, still no answer was given.
And the Rajapaksa administration's
trumpeting of Ban's congratulations circulated worldwide, with no
protest or correction by Ban's UN. Watch this site.
* * *
Sri
Lanka Says UN's Ban "Congratulates" Rajapaksa After Arrest
of Fonseka, Press Crackdown
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 10 -- After Sri Lanka's Mahinda Rajapaksa had his
electoral opponent Sarath Fonseka arrested, UN Secretary General Bank
Ki-moon belatedly put in a call to Colombo. By the time the UN
provided a requested read out of the call, the Rajapaksa
administration had already publicly characterized it as a call of
"congratulations," which followed Ban's own public
statement of "relief" after the election.
Mr.
Ban had
declined to send any UN presence to the presidential elections, and
has rebuffed the recommendation by the UN's own Special Rapporteur
Philip Alston that he name an investigative panel on war crimes in
Sri Lanka. So what did he now discuss with Mahinda Rajapaksa?
Inner
City Press,
which had asked at the UN's noon briefings of February 9 and February
9 for Ban's response to
Fonseka's arrest and the assault on press freedom in Sri Lanka,
went
to the UN Spokesperson's office at 5 p.m. on February 9 to ask for a
read out of the call. It will happening later tonight, Inner City
Press was told. Can a UN read out be provided later tonight? Perhaps,
was the response, it will take time to approve it.
At
11 a.m. on
February 10 in a snowy New York, the UN finally issued a manicured
read out of its version of the call. But the Sri Lankan government
has already issued its rosy assessment, which the UN has not
contradicted. The Sri Lankan government said:
Ban
Ki-moon congratulates President on victory
Wednesday,
February 10, 2010 - 01.00 GMT
UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon congratulated President Mahinda
Rajapaksa on his outstanding victory in being elected for a second
term in the recently concluded Presidential Election.
In
a telephone conversation with the President today (10), the Secretary
General wished him success in the continuance of his efforts to
strengthen peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, with assurances of
UN support for this work.
UN's Ban appears to congratulate M.
Rahapaksa, July 2009, after bloodbath on the beach
President
Rajapaksa apprized Mr. Ban Ki moon of current political developments,
including the dissolution of Parliament, and the Government’s
commitment to prevent divisions harmful to democracy, and conduct
another peaceful election.
In
discussing the issues of humanitarian assistance and development in
Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa informed the Secretary General that
infrastructure development was the most needed, both in the liberated
areas of the North and East, as well as in other parts of the
country. The Government was giving priority to this and would be
appreciative of assistance in this regard.
President
Rajapaksa also discussed with the Secretary General the role of
Non-Governmental Organizations in the tasks of both humanitarian and
development work, and stated the Government’s willingness to work
with foreign organizations in necessary spheres of activity,
emphasizing the need for foreign NGOs to be accountable and
transparent in their work, in view of previous experience in this
regard.
With
regard to the special development work in the North, Mr. Ban Ki-moon
was told this work was handled by Hon. Basil Rajapaksa, Senior
Advisor to the President, who was fully involved with the tasks at
hand.
In
discussing issues regarding Human Rights and related issues,
particularly in the concluding stages of the operations to defeat the
terrorism of the LTTE, the President informed the UN Secretary
General that the independent committee headed by Mr. DS Wijetunge PC,
was looking into the contents of the related reports, and once this
Committee submitted its report, further action would be taken as
considered necessary to bring about greater post-conflict
reconciliation.
The
UN Secretary General was told that the Government looked forward to
further progress both in the economic and development spheres, with
the participation of investors and other assistance from abroad.
The
25 minute telephone conversation was initiated by the UNSG's office.
Presidential
brother Basil Rajapaksa met with Ban in January 2009; Inner City
Press was the only independent, non-UN media to attend the photo
opportunity. While the UN has never provided a read out of that
meeting, sources have said it was in preparation of what would become
the bloodbath on the beach, essentially asking Ban to speak out not
at all, or only belatedly, as he has.
Sri
Lanka's
February 10 description of congratulation was picked up elsewhere,
also without any protest or correction by the UN. A sample headline
was "UN chief vows to support Rajapaksa in strengthening peace,"
by the PTI, Press Trust of India.
Hours
later, the
UN issued its own version -- "to enable sleep at night," as
one wag put it:
READOUT
OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S CALL WITH THE PRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA
The
Secretary-General spoke by telephone on Tuesday night with President
Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, and expressed his concern about
recent developments in Sri Lanka.
The
Secretary-General urged President Rajapaksa to keep his commitment,
as agreed in the joint statement, to ensure concrete proposals for a
political solution of issues with the Tamil community in the North
and to ensure full accountability for any crimes against
international humanitarian law or abuses of human rights. He took
note of the progress in returning displaced persons to their places
of origin, but added that more needs to be done in this regard.
The
Secretary-General brought up the arrest of General Sarath Fonseka,
and he urged the Government to respect the due process of law and
guarantee the personal safety of General Fonseka.
The
Secretary-General said that he looks forward to continuing his
dialogue, both personally and through his Senior Officials. It was
agreed that the Secretary-General would send Under-Secretary-General
B. Lynn Pascoe to Sri Lanka soon after the presidential inauguration
later this month.
Currently,
Mr.
Pascoe is in North Korea, with Ban Ki-moon's closest advisor Kim
Won-soo. Mr. Kim is ostensibly the deputy chief of staff, with Vijay
Nambiar occupying the Under Secretary General chief of staff
position.
On both
February 8 and 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's
spokesman Martin Nesirky if Mr. Nambiar is, officially or de facto,
now in charge of the UN's Sri Lanka policy, given reports that calls
from the Rajapaksa administration to Mr. Ban were referred to Mr.
Nambiar. (It concerned trying to cancel a UN press conference by
Philip Alston, about summary executions by the Sri Lankan army.)
Numerous
observers,
most recently a forthcoming TV documentary, have opined that
Nambiar's involvement in Sri Lanka in 2009 was inappropriately
pro-Rajapaksa, and worse. Nesirky at the Monday and Tuesday noon
briefings this week has said he would get to the bottom of the
question of the call and roles, but has not. On Wednesday there was
no noon briefing due to snow. And the Rajapaksa administration's
trumpeting of Ban's congratulations circulated worldwide, with no
protest or correction by Ban's UN. Watch this site.
, 
