On
Sri Lanka, Ban
Silent on
Impeachment,
Pillay Tells
ICP Visit
Still Her Plan
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 18 --
The UN
system's
strange and
some say
shameful
relation with
Sri Lanka has
been on
display this
week.
When
Inner City
Press asked
the UN for
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
view or
comment on the
impeachment of
the Chief
Justice and of
Saudi
Arabia's
execution of
Sri Lankan
migrant maid
Rizana Nafeek,
Ban did
not have a
comment on
either.
Then
on January 11
immediately
after UN High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights
Navi Pillay
condemned the
beheading, Ban
came out with
a statement.
But
on the
impeachment,
that has not
been the case.
Pillay has
condemned
it, but Ban
has remained
silent,
despite his
previous if
belated or
even
begrudging
calls for
accountability
for war crimes
in 2009.
With
the judiciary
under attack
by the
Rajapaksa
government,
the accusee
of war crimes,
how could
there be
accountability?
Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
spokesman
about the
impeachment on
January 15
and was told,
"we don’t have
any comment at
this time. We
are
obviously
aware of the
media reports,
and if that
changes and we
have
something to
say, I’ll
certainly let
you know." But
in the
three days
since,
nothing.
O
n
January 18
Inner City
Press asked
Pillay if it
is still here
plan,
previously
announced, to
visit Sri
Lanka in
January, of
which only 12
days remain. Video
here, from
Minute 5:50.
Pillay
answered
Inner City
Press, "Yes,
it is part of
my plan to go
to
Sri Lanka." Video
here, from
Minute 6:36.
We'll
see - watch
this site.
, 
