To Sri
Lanka, IMF
Tells ICP It
Is Preparing
Technical
Assistance
Mission
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 5 --
On Sri Lanka
during the
International
Monetary
Fund's
embargoed
briefing on
February 5,
Inner City
Press posed
this question:
"In
Sri Lanka on
bank
consolidation,
new Central
Bank Governor
Arjuna
Mahendran has
said 'I have
also asked the
IMF to send
some technical
experts to
look at these
issues from an
international
perspective
and they have
agreed to do
so.' Can you
confirm that?
Would it be in
connection
with IMF visit
at the end of
February?"
The
following
response has
been provided
to Inner City
Press by
Spokesperson
Gerry Rice of
the IMF: "“We
have been
discussing
with the
authorities a
multi-faceted
technical
assistance
mission on
financial
sector issues.
Looking at
financial
system
stability and
supervision in
the context of
the ongoing
consolidation
process is one
element. We
are currently
putting
together a
team to send
to Colombo,
but will
discuss with
the CBSL
specific needs
in the next
week so that
we can select
the best
experts and
structure the
mission. It
will likely
take place
after the
staff visit in
February, as
this is a
separate,
technical
assistance
exercise.”
Back on
January 29, after
Sri Lanka's
new government
spoke of doing
another local
investigation
into war
crimes in
2009, Inner
City Press
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric what
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon thinks
of this back
to the future
approach.
Dujarric
told Inner
City Press,
"We've seen
those reports,
obviously,
we're trying
to figure out
what it means
in terms of
the
cooperation
with the UN
human rights
investigation.
We hope there
is positive
movement in
the
cooperation
between Sri
Lanka and the
UN system on
the
investigation
of what
happened."
One assumes
"the
investigation"
means the UN
Human Rights
Council
mandated
investigation.
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.
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.
It's
done. But what
does it
portend for
the
Rajapaksas'
military /
diplomatic
corps, like
Shavendra
Silva and in
New York,
Palitha
Kohona?
, 
