[Updated] UN's Humanitarian Chief John Holmes gave a closed-door briefing of the Security Council on Sri Lanka in the UN's basement late Thursday.
France, Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert
Jean-Maurice Ripert accused the Sri Lankan Government of not adhering to the promises being made to the international community. France has asked Sri Lanka to "behave" and "respect" its commitments.
"Once again we are drawing the attention of the government of Sri Lanka to the fact that this is not an acceptable behaviour," the French Ambassador to the UN, Jean-Maurice Ripert, told reporters outside the UN Security Council headquarter in New York after an informal meeting on Sri Lanka.
Observing that the international community is not putting LTTE and Colombo on the same footing, Ripert said: "That doesn't change anything to the fact that the government of Sri Lanka has to behave and respect its commitments."
"We have heard a series of commitments by the government of Sri Lanka on the cessation of the use of heavy artillery, on the opening of the area to the UN team for humanitarian purposes, on the possibility for international observers to be in the first screening area for the IDPs and to let all the humanitarian agencies act freely in the area.
"Unfortunately, some of those commitments are still not implemented," he said.
Referring to the briefing by John Holmes, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator to the Security Council, Ripert said the UN official told that "the Lankan commitment about the use of heavy artillery was not respected."
"All of us are also pre-occupied by the fact that while they are obviously winning the war, they have to win the peace. And if they want to win the peace, they have to treat their own people in a way which will allow the government to create the conditions for national reconciliation and reconstruction process of the North," Ripert said adding that the Security Council would be monitoring the commitments of the Lankan Government.
When asked if France would support appointment of a dedicated UN Envoy, Ripert said, that Nambiar has been there, Holmes has been there, Miliband and Kouchner have been there, there is no need for an envoy. "It is not a question of sending one more special envoy. It is a question of implementation of commitments by the Sri Lanka. We ask the LTTE to surrender, to stop fighting, to give back the arms and to free the hostages - which is the immediate requirement."
US, Ambassador Susan Rice
"Both sides have responsibilities to meet. And in the face of this worsening crisis, all of us in this chamber have responsibilities too," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said in her address to the UNSC on the issue of Sri Lanka on Thursday.
She said the US is deeply concerned by the current situation in Sri Lanka, where fighting between government forces and the Tamil Tigers has led to a growing and grave humanitarian crisis. It has left innocent civilians pinned down and desperate, she said.
Despite Sri Lanka's promise to suspend combat operations, she said, multiple accounts indicate that shelling into the conflict zone continues,"We have also received reports of alarming number of civilian casualties."
Speaking at the UN Security Council in New York, Rice expressed her "disappointment" that the Sri Lankan Government denied Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt the permission to visit Colombo this week.
The US finds it hard to understand why the Sri Lankan Government would turn him away, Rice said.
The US urged Sri Lanka to reconsider its refusal to allow UN humanitarian team into the conflict zone to facilitate relief operations and the safe evacuation of civilians. "This Council must also grapple with the sheer scope of the problem," she said.
With reports indicating that more than 170,000 displaced persons have registered in government-controlled camps, Rice said the Lankan Government must allow the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all sites where newly arrived displaced persons are being registered or being provided shelter.
UK, Ambassador John Sawers
UK Ambassador John Sawers when asked why the UK is not pushing for a "real" Council meeting, upstairs, and a real outcome. He answered that it is important that the Council speak with one voice.
When asked why the UK viewed Zimbabwe different, and pushed for a resolution even though it was vetoed. Sawers said that was different: Sri Lanka is a democratically elected government fighting a terrorist organization.
Then, when Inner City Press asked if the UK would use the EU GSP Plus tariff as leverage to make Sri Lanka hear the message, Sawers responded "We're not in the job of penalizing the government of Sri Lanka."
SC President, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller
The members of the U.N. Security Council agree there is no point in punishing Sri Lanka by withholding a $1.9 billion International Monetary Fund loan or other steps, the council's president said on Thursday.
"I have not heard anyone suggesting that," Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, president of the 15-nation council, told reporters after an informal session on Sri Lanka.
Asked if all members of the council agreed that penalties such as withholding the loan were unnecessary, Heller said, "Absolutely."
Inner City Press asked, during the Mexican presidency the number of civilians killed in North East Sri Lanka rose, by the UN's count, from 3000 to over 6,500 so what did the meetings prevent. It could have been worse, Heller said.
John Holmes, UN Humanitarian Chief
When asked about reports of the use of an abandoned hospital in Kilinochchi as an interrogation center for young men selected from the IDP camps. Holmes said that interrogation and incarceration for up to a year is okay. Who is monitoring this process? No one, he said.
Inner City Press asked Holmes, are you in essence the UN's envoy to Sri Lanka? He said he doesn't want that post, that another one is not needed.
Inner City Press asked Holmes about his comment, in his statement leaked to Inner City Press, about a new memorandum of understanding the government will require NGOs to sign. Inner City Press asked, what are your and the UN's concerns? The sharing of information, Holmes answered, in ways the NGOs can't live with.
Behind the doors: Inner City Press Analysis by Matthew Lee
Inner City Press got a leaked copy of John Holmes presentation, where Holmes called on the members of the Council to speak with one voice and look for ways to end the fighting.
Dedicated UN Envoy
Inner City Press quoting UN sources said that the idea to formally appoint a Special (dedicated) Envoy to Sri Lanka was brought in by America to raise the profile of the issue, opposed by the Sri Lankan government.
Inner City Press asked Heller if he and Mexico favor the appointment of a UN envoy to Sri Lanka. Two attendees of the Council's closed-door lunch with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said they remembered Heller making such a request. But a senior Ban advisor told Inner City Press the message was not received by Ban.
The special envoy of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Vijay Nambiar's trip is now widely viewed as a failure, even as buying more time for Colombo to continue its assault and siege on the conflict zone, said Inner City Press. Nambair, according to Ban, won a commitment by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to allow a UN humanitarian assessment team into the No Fire Zone. This commitment, if it was ever sincere, was immediately rescinded.
Amnesty
This advisor said that the UN Secretariat's hope is to arrange some form of amnesty for most of the remaining Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam left in the conflict zone, but not the leader and founder.
Inner City Press asked, just as an example, what about his son? That's what negotiations are for, was the answer. But the three brothers who run Sri Lanka, he said, have shown little interests. They feel they are about to win, he said.
The leverage points, then, are the pending IMF loan and the European Union's GSP Plus no tariff treatment of Sri Lankan textiles.
The senior UN advisor noted that while previously Sri Lankan presidents have been popular with Sinhalese nationalism, “when the economy tanks,” they lose elections and power. So the economic leverage, he said, is real. But will the EU even try to use it?
News analysed and edited by Tamil National [
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Comments (2)
Subscribe to this comment's feed1.6 billion to Colombo- Heller's comment
Shalom Claude Heller, you are a swine. How could you say what you did?Everyone knows Israel sells military equipment to Colombo. Going by your name you are a Jew .It appears that Gotaboya had talked to Israel military contractors who had approached you to cut the slack on Sri Lanka .Come on how much were you promised?You have a short memory,what about Auschwitz?You people cried foul over the Nazis, now the Sinhalese are the Nazis killing Tamils. I don't have to tell you more.Can't you identify with the sufferings of the Tamils? What has the UN become?It is packed with greed and racists pretending to practice honor and humanity.Kiss my...........(fill it yourself).
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May 01, 2009
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So far the Tamil community have been asking what is right for all humans a chance to live life not to just exist. Chance for parents to see their children grow, be educated, get married have their own life.
See our elders have a peaceful life, see our homeland bare fruit.
If the world will not help us we will continue our struggle the way we have been doing for the last 30 odd years.
We are humans too we are not shamed to be born as Tamils...............Long Live Tamil Eelam