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By Matthew Russell Lee, video

UN GATE, Jan 12 -- After weeks in which the United Nations of Antonio Guterres refused to answer questions about allowing 250 Sri Lanka soldiers to deploy to the UN mission in Mali, with an alleged war criminal Shavendra Silva seeing them off contrary to a false claim by Guterres that such deployments would stop, another  alleged war criminal has claimed the presidency: Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

  Gotabaya should thank the UN for its ghoulish assist to his campaign. But who will hold corrupt Guterres accountable? Inner City Press in writing asked, repeatedly without answer from UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming which blocks its entrance to ask in person: January 10-2: On Sri Lanka, what are the comments or actions if any of SG Guterres on if the Sri Lankan government should abide by its commitments to replace the abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with legislation that respects its international human rights obligations. The cabinet of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced on January 4, 2020 that it would withdraw a proposed replacement law, reneging on pledges to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the European Union.  The HRW in a statement said, Rajapaksa, who took office on November 18, 2019, has also taken other steps that threaten human rights protections in Sri Lanka. He appointed army commanders implicated by the UN in attacks on civilians and other grave abuses during the civil war to defense secretary and other senior positions." No answer at all. Guterres is absolutely corrupt.

Now this from IPJT and JDS:: "The new government in Sri Lanka, headed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has embarked on its strategy to militarize and securatize Sri Lanka unleashing a chilling process of repression targeting critics and human rights defenders, say two human rights groups, the International Truth and Justice Project – Sri Lanka (ITJP) and Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS). With the help of activists in Sri Lanka who cannot be named for their own safety, the two groups documented 69 incidents of intimidation and threats both before and after the elections which have targetted journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, plaintiffs, academics and opposition figures. In some cases the threats have been so serious the individuals have fled the country. “What we are seeing is the dismantling of any attempts to address accountability and a massive shrinking of the civic space in Sri Lanka with even more sophisticated and intrusive surveillance,” said ITJP’s Executive Director, Yasmin Sooka.“The international community has to ensure the increased security assistance it is giving Sri Lanka after the Easter Sunday bombings is not being misused now to crack down on human rights defenders and journalists”. The report also illustrates how Gotabaya Rajpaksa has spread his tentacles across the government by appointing many members of his former army regiment to positions of authority and has increasingly militarized the policing and intelligence functions. Those involved in investigating past crimes including fraud have been removed from their posts. “Individuals previously accused of corruption or alleged to be involved in war crimes are now in office again - the ‘deep state” is out in the open, occupying positions of authority,” said Bashana Abeywardene of JDS, adding that it’s cast a pall of silence over once outspoken journalists, trades union activists and human rights activists." And from Guterres' UN? Nothing, as LaCroix dissembles about using the Rajapaksas' and Shavendra Silva's soldiers.

  After covering the UN's failure on Sri Lanka, from the bloodbath on the beach through accepting Shavendra Silva as a UN Peacekeeping adviser, Inner City Press was roughed up and banned by Secretary General Antonio Guterres. FP and Reuters said nothing.

  In February 2019 when Silva became Army Chief of Staff, Inner City Press puts in among its written questions to Spokesman Stephane Dujarric a question on this. Despite Dujarric's on camera promise to answer Inner City Press' written questions, no answer.

 In August when Silva was further promoted, Inner City Press asked again and again in writing, including to Guterres new chief of "Global Communications" Melissa Fleming. No answer; Fleming banned Inner City Press from the UNGA week.

  Then Dujarric's office handed a claim, which Inner City Press even then called out diplomaticallly as quite possibly not true, to his teacher's pet FP, long time correspondent Colum Lynch and DC-based Robbie Gramer. Neither ever wrote a word about Guterres using UN Security to physically rough up Inner City Press and ban it 450 days since. They call this a scoop, when it is just spoon feeding for those who want to feel good about the UN. Reuters also reported it - and they actively lobbied Guterres' Dujarric to oust Inner City Press, here. No correction: corrupt.

  Nor did the UN of Guterres and Lacroix answered this written question: "October 30-2: On Sri Lanka in light of your and USG LaCroix's misleading annoucements on which you have refused to answer Press questions, what now are the comments and actions if any of Guterres and LaCroix on the published report that Nigeria’s army has a sent a delegation of six members, to receive five days of training from the Sri Lankan armed forces in Maduru Oya.  Major General G Oyefesobi, the director of the Nigerian Army, led the delegation and spoke with Sri Lanka’s Army Commander, Shavendra Silva.  According to a press release from the army, the delegation has stated they are considering “sending more troops to Sri Lanka for Special Forces training in [the] future”.  They have also released information detailing two Nigerian officers who are already receiving training in Sri Lanka."  Again, no answer, as the 10 new cases of UN peacekeepers' sexual abuse in the past two weeks.

  Then Inner City Press was exclusively informed that the UN may be moving to deploy 250 of Shavendra Silva's troops to Mali - and that beyond Guterres and Dujarric refusing questions on rapes, Lacroix's Department is not even answering it s purported interlocutors on this. Inner City Press published the information and formally asked the UN in writing on the morning of November 4. Two full days later, no answer from Guterres and fellow Frenchmen and UN Peacekeeping destroyers Lacroix and Dujarric. All three should resign.

 On November 6 the Sri Lankan Army website bragged that "The new contingent of 243 Army personnel of the Combat Convoy Company (CCC) of the Sri Lanka Army, set to leave for Mali to serve in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) this morning (6) presented a formal military salute to the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva at the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) Headquarters at Boyagane.  The Sri Lankan CCC, comprised of 20 Officers and 223 Other Ranks representing 13 Regiments of the Army, is scheduled to depart for Mali, the landlocked West African country during 12-13 November. The Sri Lankan CCC of 196 members already serving in Mali meanwhile is expected to return home on Thursday (14).  Wednesday’s military ceremony at Boyagane got to a start soon after the day’s Chief Guest, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army arrived at the VIR HQ main entrance to be saluted in a formal Guard Turnout after he was welcomed by Brigadier P.M.R.H.S.K Herath, VIR Centre Commandant.  Afterwards, Major General R.K.B.S Ketakumbura, Colonel of the Regiment, VIR welcomed the Commander of the Army and invited him to receive the Guard of Honour salute in the parade ground.  Those Mali-bound 20 Officers and 223 Other Ranks accordingly marched into the ground and saluted the day’s protagonist soon after he reviewed it at the invitation of the Parade Commander, Lieutenant Colonel P.G.C.S Gallage, Commanding Officer in the Mali-bound CCC, Phase II, together with Major N.V.A.M Vithanage, 2nd in Command of the CCC Phase II." The UN is a fraud; Guterres lies for war criminals.

   On the morning of September 26, while simultaneous covering the SDNY Federal court where CEFC China Energy, financially linked to UNSG Guterres was convicted of UN bribery, Inner City Press asked Guterres, his spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq and Melissa Fleming questions including "September 26-2: On Sri Lanka, please immediately explain why your Office refused to answer weeks of questions from Inner City Press about the impact of Shavendra Silva being made head of army (despite Dujarric on camera promise, and Smale's written promise, to answer ICP's questions) then handed the answer to FP and how that doesn't make FP and Reuters the UN's teacher's pets? Is the belated decision even true?"

  No answer. Then this...

 Past 4 pm on Friday, August 30 the UN issued a denial of accreditation with no reasoning other than that accreditation had previously been revoked:

"From:  malu at un dot org
Date: Fri, Aug 30, 2019 at 4:23 PM
Subject: U.N. eAccreditation request for Matthew Lee Ref # M5413398 has been declined
To: Inner City Press:

Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press,  Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018."

  This is Kafka-esque, and corrupt. We will have more, much more, on this.

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