UN - Lanka rigmarole continues, UN insists panel will talk not only to LLRC
December 31, 2010 08:30 am
Responding to the Sri Lankan government’s claims to the contrary, the UN has insisted that the Expert panel would not only talk to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission and that their work is broader than that.
Answering an email query by Inner City Press U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq has said that, “It is NOT the case that the panel would only talk to the LLRC. The panel made clear to me that their work is broader than simply dealing with the LLRC.”
Addressing a press briefing yesterday Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka will issue visa for the UN panel to enter the country only to testify before the Government appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission(LLRC) and not to conduct any investigations of their own.
Full email reply of Haq as reported by Inner City Press in context of Rambukwella’s statement.
ICP query:
Martin & Farhan -- On Dec 23 and at the beginning of this week I asked you about the Panel’s trip to Sri Lanka which Ban Ki-moon announced on December 17. My Sunday question was very specific and easy to answer. But it has not been answered...
Now it is reported that “Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the government would grant visas to the members of the Panel only to go before the government appointed LLRC and not to conduct any investigations on their own. Rambukwella said that the government initially objected to the Panel’s visit to Sri Lanka, as it was to conduct an inquiry. However, the government has decided to grant visas to the Panel since it has been stated that the members only wished to meet the LLRC.”
The failure to answer, or to have noon briefing, is now more problematic than ever. Before 12:30 today, please state:
1) did or will the staff of the Panel go to Sri Lanka?
2) what agreements or understanding have been reached about with whom the Panel will speak in Sri Lanka?
3) with whom in the Sri Lanka government did Ban or the UN speak before his Dec 17 announcement, talking into account that the External Affairs Minister Peiris later said he learn of it in the media?
4) why have you refused to answer these questions? On deadline.
Haq reply:
From: Farhan Haq [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 12:20 PM
To: Inner City Press, Nesirky [at] un.org, Soung-ah Choi [at] un.org
Subject: Re: Press Qs on deadline re Sri Lanka & OSSG failure to answer, 13 still outstanding
As I made clear to you at the time, the panel has not confirmed travel to Sri Lanka yet. The arrangements would need to be right. It is NOT the case that the panel would only talk to the LLRC. The panel made clear to me that their work is broader than simply dealing with the LLRC. That’s all we have to say on it for now.
Answering an email query by Inner City Press U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq has said that, “It is NOT the case that the panel would only talk to the LLRC. The panel made clear to me that their work is broader than simply dealing with the LLRC.”
Addressing a press briefing yesterday Cabinet Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Sri Lanka will issue visa for the UN panel to enter the country only to testify before the Government appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission(LLRC) and not to conduct any investigations of their own.
Full email reply of Haq as reported by Inner City Press in context of Rambukwella’s statement.
ICP query:
Martin & Farhan -- On Dec 23 and at the beginning of this week I asked you about the Panel’s trip to Sri Lanka which Ban Ki-moon announced on December 17. My Sunday question was very specific and easy to answer. But it has not been answered...
Now it is reported that “Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the government would grant visas to the members of the Panel only to go before the government appointed LLRC and not to conduct any investigations on their own. Rambukwella said that the government initially objected to the Panel’s visit to Sri Lanka, as it was to conduct an inquiry. However, the government has decided to grant visas to the Panel since it has been stated that the members only wished to meet the LLRC.”
The failure to answer, or to have noon briefing, is now more problematic than ever. Before 12:30 today, please state:
1) did or will the staff of the Panel go to Sri Lanka?
2) what agreements or understanding have been reached about with whom the Panel will speak in Sri Lanka?
3) with whom in the Sri Lanka government did Ban or the UN speak before his Dec 17 announcement, talking into account that the External Affairs Minister Peiris later said he learn of it in the media?
4) why have you refused to answer these questions? On deadline.
Haq reply:
From: Farhan Haq [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 12:20 PM
To: Inner City Press, Nesirky [at] un.org, Soung-ah Choi [at] un.org
Subject: Re: Press Qs on deadline re Sri Lanka & OSSG failure to answer, 13 still outstanding
As I made clear to you at the time, the panel has not confirmed travel to Sri Lanka yet. The arrangements would need to be right. It is NOT the case that the panel would only talk to the LLRC. The panel made clear to me that their work is broader than simply dealing with the LLRC. That’s all we have to say on it for now.
