Inner City Press: Global Inner Cities Report

UN's Ban Tips Hat to Protesters from High Above NY, Claims He Met With Tamils

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 17, updated -- It was projected as a light evening of honor for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to receive from the Foreign Policy Association a Global Humanitarian Award, along with former US president Bill Clinton.

Clinton, however, canceled his appearance due to "family health issues" -- word on the street, literally 55th Street in front of the St. Regis Hotel, was that Hilary was in a car crash. [Update: the man in the street, as is so often the case, was half-right: Hilary broken her elbow on the way to the White House, but there was no vehicle involved.] And Ban himself was protested, for hours, with chants urging him to resign, or to "go home," or at least to feel shame.

The protesters, it must be said, were nearly entirely ethnic Tamils. Despite the tens of thousands of people killed in the war in Sri Lanka, unlike Darfur, Myanmar or the Middle East, the victims have yet to gain noticeable solidarity from non-Tamils. This feels of abandonment was palpable Wednesday night in front of the St. Regis Hotel.

Inner City Press, which has asked questions at the UN which have cut both ways but focused on civilians, was filming the photographing the protest. Several of the participants asked, where is the rest of the media? A television producer known to Inner City Press stopped by, gave congratulations for having found the news, but emerged from a cell phone calls saying that "there is no crew."

One of the protesters asked, "No clue?" The producer continued along. Later two Turkish journalists stopped by, on their way to covering Ban Ki-moon's speech. They urged Inner City Press to come upstairs and hear it. Since Ban had slipped by the protesters -- click here for the blow by blow report filed in real time with wireless Internet from the street -- there was little left to do but to go up and hear him.

A half-dozen seats had been set in the back of the ballroom for the press. There had been a reception; dinner had been served. Now Ban Ki-moon arose, and to his credit made a joke. "I was impressed and encouraged," he began, "I know there were hundreds of people who were welcoming me or some other person in front of the hotel."

The audience, a mix of Ambassadors and business people, laughed. Several had been shouted at as they entered. Claude Heller, the Ambassador of Mexico who had at least tried to get the Security Council to consider the plight of civilians in Sri Lanka, had stopped and told Inner City Press, "this is good." But others hurried back the protest, as in finding the mention much less chanting of the word genocide in Midtown Manhattan distasteful.

Ban said of the protesters, "I am aware of their concerns, their pride, their challenges... that is exactly why I went to Sri Lanka four weeks ago." It was May 23, and Inner City Press was with him. Ban said he had visited the IDP camps, "met with government leaders, with representatives of the opposition, representatives of the Tamil minority."

About this last, doubts exist. As the press corps sat waiting on the UN plane at Colombo's airport, Inner City Press was told that Tamil MPs who had been promised a meeting with Ban were barred from the airport.

Inner City Press asked UN officials Lynn Pascoe and John Holmes about this, and was told an answer was been forthcoming. None has been provided. Neither was visibly in attendance on Wednesday night, but seated with Ban was his chief of staff Vijay Nambiar.

Down on 55th Street, a protesters displayed a sign, "$ for the Nambiyar brothers," meaning Vijay and Satish, a former Indian general part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force which occupied northern Sri Lanka in the late 1980s, strafing the population and losing 1500 troops before decamping.

Many, including some of Ban's own senior advisors, say that sending Nambiar at the UN's envoy was unwise. Nambiar has been quoted that the doubts are beneath contempt. If so he better look around himself, as the doubts extend to the UN's 38th floor around him. Ban moved from Sri Lanka to the climate change issue, urging the Foreign Policy Association to help him "seal the deal in Copenhagen."

The FPA, whose board members include former AIG big wig Maurice Greenberg and the CEO of Santander, a bank which allegedly laundered money for Augusto Pinochet, on Wednesday also gave an award to the CEO of an Italian oil company. These hypocrisies are beyond the scope of this article.

Inner City Press had waited outside the St. Regis from six to 8:30 p.m., seeking to get from Ban himself a reaction to the protest. After the speeches and the dinner, Ban was spirited out by a side door, and faced neither the protesters nor the Press. A swag bag was passed out, with publications about oil.

Down on 55th Street, the protesters had been told to leave at 8:30 by the police, who said that hotel had cooperated at much as it would. Ban said he heard the protesters, but he never faced them. His spokespeople have told Inner City Press that they will not comment on "what you read in the news about Sri Lanka." How about mass internment? Watch this site.

UN's Ban Questioned on Record, on Sri Lanka, Half Time Pep Talk

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 11 -- Half way into the five year term as UN Secretary General he was awarded in 2006, Ban Ki-moon on June11 tried to defend low grades he has received for his management of the UN and not "speaking truth to power."

At Mr. Ban's press conference for June, his spokesperson Michele Montas pointedly did not call on Inner City Press. Only a week before she had said the UN should be able to regulate the Press, after a memo revealed her attendance at a May 8 meeting at which legal threats and "complaining to Google News" about Inner City Press was discussed. On June 11, she looked elsewhere to award the right to question.

But CNN's longtime correspondent, characteristically classy, yielded his question to Inner City Press. Video here, from Minute 42:41. To inquire into Ban's views on his Spokesperson's and top officials' seeming underlying of freedom of the press, while necessary and to later be asked, had to take a back seat to a bigger picture question. From the UN's transcript, the question and then Ban's annotated answer:

Inner City Press: There is an article in today's Economist, called “Ban Ki-moon - the score at half time”. It reviews half of your first term. I want to ask you to respond to it. Under the rubric “truth to power” they give you a three out of ten, and they use the example of Sri Lanka - they say that Mr. Ban denied that the UN had leaked grim civilian casualty figures. On management they give two out of ten. There are some better grades, I acknowledge. On management, they say there is a problem with communicating with senior staff, that you have to show more leadership in drumming up peacekeepers.

I might add to that, protection of whistle-blowers and free press. I just wanted to know, do you agree with any of this critique, are there things you intend to do better in a second term? What do you make of this piece in the Economist assigning those two grades?

SG: I would regard it as the judgment of the Economist. There may be a different judgment on my performance. First of all, during the last two and a half years, I had three priorities. First of all, to catalyze a global response to critical global issues – like climate change, managing the consequences of the international economic crisis, global health and global terrorism. On climate change, you may agree with me that from almost dead - if not dead, a dormant status - this issue has risen to the level of leaders of the world. It has become a top priority issue of this world. I am going to really work hard to seal the deal in Copenhagen in December. I am working for all humanity, for the future of Planet Earth.

Note: Ban is clearly passionate about climate change, but some might also mention Al Gore in this role. Ban appointed a mentor and former boss in South Korea as a UN climate change envoy, then added the past General Assembly president Srgjan Kerim to his climate roster. These are patronage appointments, many feel, that do no credit to the environment and provide support for the grades the Economist gave.

SG: To deliver results to those most in need, you should know that I have been working very hard to represent the well-being of the most vulnerable people. I have been working as the voice of the voiceless people, and defend those people who are defenseless. You see my performance on the record.

Note: Most recently Ban went to Sri Lanka, and saw Tamils locked up in internment camps. Since returning to New York, Ban's Spokespeople have resisted commenting on the plight of these defenseless people, who are being locked up with UN funds.

Inner City Press asked, what about the outgoing Sri Lankan chief justice's comment that the people in the camps have no legal protection, cannot get the jurisdiction of Sri Lankan court? Ban's Associate Spokesperson dryly called this a "national issue." So much for voice for the voiceless. Some say, apologist for governments.

SG: On reform, you should understand that this has been accumulating over the last sixty years. During the last two and a half years, I can proudly say that I have made significant changes in the working culture of the United Nations, to make this most transparent, accountable, efficient and mobile and effective. I don't claim that I have finished the job. There are much more things to be done in the reform process of the United Nations. Look at these accumulated, very cumbersome, bureaucratic systems of the United Nations. I am also in a very difficult position to move these reform processes ahead. Have you ever seen somebody who has been, as passionately as I have been doing, to change this working culture of the United Nations? There will be some complaints. People just love business as usual. They simply don't want to change. This is what I really wanted to change.

Note: Ban could have made his top officials file public financial disclosure, or face non reappointment. He didn't. He is viewed, perhaps because of those around him, as unapproachable by many. His top management official, Angela Kane, barely speaks with the Staff Union. Therefore few things have been reformed.

SG: You should look very closely and follow me, what I have been doing, what I have in my mind. I have never left climate change [or] reform of the United Nations. I will continue to do that, whatever somebody may say. But be sympathetic, and just try to closely follow what I have been doing, not just based on conventional wisdom. Fix your eyesight and vision on the 21st [century]. Don't look at the 1950s, 1960s., where the United Nations was the only universal body. Now you have so many international actors – the European Union, the African Union, the OAS, ASEAN – the United Nations must work together in close coordination with all these organizations. And we need the full support of the Member States.

Note: Ban appointed former peacekeeping chief Jean Marie Guehenno as his Under Secretary General for Regional Cooperation, that is on all these grounps. Then, Ban did not assign Guehenno a single piece of work. It was a patronage appointment, apparently designed to keep Guehenno's visa status. This is not a new way of doing busines.

SG: Without the political support, without resources provided by the Member States, it is difficult, however capable a person may be the Secretary-General. It is just impossible. I need more political support. I need more resources by the Member States. Then judge my support on the basis of that. The mandate should be supported and accompanied by the resources and political support. Don't just look at my performance on the basis of just vague or conventional perceptions of the United Nations.

Note: Is it too conventional to think that the UN Secretary General should speak up for members of a minority group interned by a majoritarian government using UN money? Is it vague to think that a CEO who has he wants those whom he appointed to make public financial disclosure could easily bring it about, by conditioning appointment or re-appointment on disclosure? We could go on and on. The point is, what improvements will there be? Watch this site.

In UN (Non) Walls Would Have Ears, Under Kane Whistleblowers Beware

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 13 -- As the UN gears up to empty its Headquarters and knock down all the walls, a rift with the press corps has come into public view. It has to do with walls, and impacts the ability to report on and expose corruption and dysfunctions brought to light by whistleblowers.

At Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's June 11 press conference, Mr. Ban was asked if he favors "current plans by UN management" to "start charging journalists for working space" or "to not provide proper office enclosure and security"?

The issue first came to light last July when a memo was leaked to Inner City Press from within the Office of the Under Secretary General for Management, Angela Kane, stating that Ms. Kane wanted a list of other international or governmental organizations which, unlike UN Headquarters for sixty years, charge the press for space.

After Inner City Press published this memo, which a whistleblower had slipped under the door of Inner City Press' office on the fourth floor of the UN, the correspondents' association was given assurances by the Department of Public Information that Ms. Kane's idea would not be implemented, that it was in essence merely an intellectual exercise.

But months later, following more leaks from within Ms. Kane's office including about lack of U.S. doctors' licenses by those prescribing narcotics in the UN and most recently her memo to Ban Ki-moon proposing, among other things, to complain to Google News about Inner City Press, and to hire outside counsel to send "cease and desist... letters before action" to Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and Inner City Press, the correspondents were told to either pay $23,000 for offices with walls and doors, or to be moved into open air offices without doors or walls.

After reporting that this would drive media out of the UN, the proposal was modified to de-emphasize the demand for money, but to make mandatory the loss of confidentiality. On the eve of Ban's press conference, Ban's senior advisor Kim Won-soo and his spokesperson Michele Montas, along with the head of the Capital Master Plan Michael Adlerstein -- whose boss Angela Kane was and is in Nairobi at a meeting between Management and labor that does not include the UN's New York Staff Union -- presented a detailed proposal with less then floor to ceiling walls.

A counter proposal described to Inner City Press late on June 12 -- again in its fourth floor office with its closing door -- would give doors and walls to wire services but not "print" journalists, defined to include a range from Inner City Press to the Washington Post. (The Washington Post, as Inner City Press exclusively reported, already plans to close its UN bureau before the end of the year.)

Inner City Press told the lead negotiator that this report would be published and asked him, what is the distinction between a wire service and a journalistic entity which reports in whatever medium on UN corruption, and needs to offer confidentiality to its sources?

This need is not limited to UN corruption whistleblowers -- earlier this month, when the draft resolution for sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test was leaked, it was to this online publication and not a TV station or a wire. (In fact, the Associated Press along with Japanese wires, the Times of London and Washington Post credited Inner City Press for the exclusive.)

So who, then, is behind the UN's push to either drive the press out by charging thousands of dollars, or drive it out into the open where whistleblowers cannot approach? Leaked documents point to Angela Kane, who has previously told Inner City Press, in writing, that she has no time to answer questions, that they should be "asked in the noon briefing."

In that briefing room last month, when asked by Inner City Press about a range of management issues from disparities in punishment in a UN pornography ring complained off by whistleblower staff to the UN Medical Service complaints, Ms. Kane said that if any part of a complainant's story is not verified, he or she is not a whistleblower. This means that, even on paper, no protection against retaliation would be offered.

Notably, the Capital Master Plan was modified to place Ms. Kane's office on the third floor of what is now the library, directly above where the Press will be. As modified, the Press will have neither walls nor door. The message? Whistleblowers beware.

Footnotes: the correspondents' association's June 12 meeting at which a negotiating team was named and the "no walls for print media" counterproposal was reportedly developed was, ironically, closed to the Press and other rank and file members of the association. While some summary was graciously provided afterwards, others say that with workmen from the UN's contractor Skanska already finalizing layouts in the so-called swing space, the battle is being lost.

The "consultations" that Mr. Ban referred to in his scripted press conference answer are being conducted by his deputy chief of staff Kim Won-soo, who immediately after the press conference approached the questioner to say, let us continue the dialogue, but "you broken our agreement." This last presumably referred to Kim's request that the issue not be publicly raised in the press conference. While the lead negotiator, to whom Kim's accusation was directed, tried to play it down, another active correspondent replied, "We are not sorry, Mr. Kim."

It's said that Kim either does not understand or acknowledge reporters' need for confidentiality or independence -- he once told Inner City Press to "report nicely on Angela Kane" -- or resents that the media which has come to New York from South Korea to cover Ban Ki-moon do not yet have the closed offices of long-time UN correspondents. That of course could be solved. To some it appears only a pretext. Watch this site.

Sri Lanka Denies IDP Reduction Reported by Inner City Press, Raises to UN, Crackdown Explained?

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 -- The Sri Lankan government has denounced a story about "missing" internally displaced people which Inner City Press, based on discrepancies in UN documents and statements from UN sources, published this week.

Beyond denying that any IDPs have been removed from the UN-funded camps in Vavuniya, which Inner City Press visited on May 23, the government has said that it is raising the matter with the UN. "Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, Mahinda Samarasinghe is expected to take up the issue with United Nations," according to a pro-government web site.

On June 2, Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson publicly denounced Inner City Press for its reporting, but denied she had discussed "complaining to Google News" about it, presumably to stop its distribution or censor it. The next day she recanted, click here. Click here for Inner City Press (on NYTimes.com) on tensions in Sri Lanka.

Inner City Press' story noted that even the UN, in a May 30 report, acknowledged that its number of IDPs in the camps decreased by over 13,000.

While the public report by UN OCHA ascribed this sudden drop -- from May 27 -- to "double counting," local UN sources, on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation not only by the Sri Lankan government but also by the UN, told Inner City Press that as with the satellite photos of the conflict zone and casualty figures, some in the UN were seeking to downplay this potentially troubling information.

OCHA's May 30 report states that "276,785 persons crossed to the Government controlled areas from the conflict zone. This represents a decrease of 13,130 IDPs since the last report (Sitrep No.18) on 27 May 2009. The decrease is associated with double counting. Additional verification is required."

But earlier, OCHA had praised the "improved, systematic registration being undertaken in the camps."

The article continued that UN sources in Colombo tell Inner City Press that senior UN officials above them, Sri Lankan nationals who are Sinhalese, are downplaying the 13,000 "missing" IDPs, which would otherwise be of much concern given the reports of disappearances from the camps, the seizing of teenage males for detention and females for other purposes, as UK Channel 4 asserted with on camera interviews

Shouldn't the UN look into this more closely, given multiple and credible reports of people being "disappeared" from the UN-funded IDP camps? The UN so far has done nothing in this regard.

To expedite matters, one hopes, Inner City Press now publishes a list of some of the places where the UN -- or perhaps a less compromised body -- should look for missing people:

Pallekelle near Kandy; Ambepussa, Boosa and, it is said, the Army training camp at Diya-talawwa.

On June 2, Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson while again publicly denouncing Inner City Press for its reporting, denied she had discussed "complaining to Google News" about it, presumably to stop its distribution or censor it.

The next day, Ms. Montas confirmed that both legal action and "complaining to Google News" were discussed at a meeting she had with four top UN officials, including Mr Ban's speech writer, who also traveled to Sri Lanka on May 23, the UN's top lawyer Patricia O'Brien, Angela Kane and the head of UN "Public Information," Kiyotaka Akasaka, previously of the Japanese foreign ministry.

Following a failure by these officials to respond to requests that they explain how the strategy they discussed comports with the free press Article 19 of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Inner City Press has asked for action from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, click here.

Footnotes: During this week's back and forth about the UN threatening legal action against the Press, and to complain to Google News about Inner City Press' coverage, a high UN official, again anonymous due to fear of retaliation even at his level, approached Inner City Press to say that the attempt at censorship or expulsion was being pushed by what he diplomatically called "a member state." Asked if this meant Sri Lanka, he nodded.

Meanwhile, in a show of retaliation, the UN has taken the step of seizing and checking the UN e-mail of staff members who they believe have been sources for Inner City Press. Some say that when the UN went to Sri Lanka, rather than seek to hold the government to a high standard of human rights, the effect was to make the UN (even) more like the administration of the Rajapaksas...

The article, quoting that "Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, Mahinda Samarasinghe is expected to take up the issue with United Nations" takes issue with Inner City Press quoting that

"UN sources in Colombo tell Inner City Press that senior UN officials above them, Sri Lankan nationals who are Sinhalese, are downplaying the 13,000 "missing" IDPs, which would otherwise be of much concern given the reports of disappearances from the camps, the seizing of teenage males for detention and females for other purposes, [as] UK Channel 4 asserted with on camera interviews."

Contrary to the (intentional?) misinterpretation below, Inner City Press was not saying that all Sri Lankan nationals are Sinhalese -- rather, that within the UN's staff in Sri Lanka, those who are of the majority Sinhalese group are seen by their Tamil colleagues as in some cases using their positions in the UN to advance, as some phrase it, "the Sinhalese Buddhist nationalist cause." Inner City Press did not invent these divisions, and the article's and minister's statement that all is now well in Sri Lanka is, at best, wishful thinking. Within the UN, some recall the way in Rwanda a Hutu staff member named Callixte Mbarushimana was allowed to use his UN position and materiel to further the Hutu extremist cause which has since been acknowledged as genocide. The UN continued employing and paying Callixte Mbarushimana for many years. Some wonder, will that happen with the UN in Sri Lanka?

On June 5 outside the UN Security Council, Inner City Press asked the Special Adviser of the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, Francis Deng, if his Office will do any work on Sri Lanka. "We try to follow what is going on, the post-conflict developments," he said. "It's been going on for twenty five years, you don't just...." His voice trailed off. "One phase ended, presumably, but....". And his voice trailed off again. Of course, it's been "going on" for far longer than 25 years.

At UN, Sri Lanka Sinks Lower than the Basement, Ban Criticized on Human Rights

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 28 -- The status of interred civilians in Sri Lanka has sunk so low at the UN that even for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to be invited to brief the Security Council on his recent fly-over the conflict zone has resulted in opposition from China, Russia, Viet Nam and others.

In a closed door Security Council meeting Thursday, these countries and others suggested that since there is no more conflict, Ban should not brief the Council but rather the General Assembly. It was arranged that Ban will meet private with Russia and Turkey, the Council presidents for May and June. At most, Ban will brief the Council in the UN's basement, put on par with Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN.

Meanwhile Ban was lambasted by Human Rights Watch for having offered praise to Sri Lanka's interment camps, in a way that contributed to the vote-down of a call for a international investigation yesterday in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Inner City Press on Thursday asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe to respond to the Wednesday press release of Human Rights Watch, which

said that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had regrettably undercut efforts to produce a strong resolution with his recent comments in Sri Lanka. Ban publicly praised the government for "doing its utmost" and for its "tremendous efforts," while accepting government assurances, repeatedly broken in the past, that it would ensure humanitarian access to civilians in need.

Ban also distanced himself from strong language used in April by the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, who warned that the fighting in Sri Lanka could result in a "bloodbath." Unlike Pillay, Ban also failed to press for an international inquiry.

"Secretary-General Ban shares the blame for the Human Rights Council's poor showing on Sri Lanka."

Nearly 24 hours after this press release went online, Ms. Obake said that the UN hadn't seen it. Video here, from Minute 11:50. She said however that on these issues "the Secretary General has been very clear in public, perhaps more clear in private." Perhaps.

UN's Ban looking up - toward a Security Council or GA "informal dialogue"?

After the noon briefing, the following arrived:

Subj: Your questions on Sri Lanka
From: unspokesperson-donotreply [at] un.org
To: Inner City Press
Sent: 5/28/2009 2:17:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

Just to add to what we already said at the noon briefing:

The Secretary-General has repeatedly said wherever serious and credible allegations are made of grave and persistent violations of international humanitarian laws, these should be properly investigated.

In addition, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, while noting that the Human Rights Council will not agree to set up such an inquiry at this point, says that more information will come out, more evidence will emerge about what did and did not happen. So an international inquiry could still happen further down the line. The Office also said that international human rights law is quite robust -- there are different ways and means to get to the truth and provide some measure of accountabilty. Sometimes it takes years, but this Session and this resolution do not close any avenues.

But Ban's speech upon arrival in Sri Lanka on May 22, and his Joint Statement with the government exiting the country the next day, speak for themselves.

In a briefing primarily about Pakistan, Inner City Press asked the UN's top humanitarian John Holmes if the doctors who remained in the conflict zone to offer treatment and casualty figures are still being detained and interrogated by the government of Sri Lanka. They are, almost Holmes said they have received ICRC visits. Yesterday the head of the ICRC said that his Red Cross has no access to some Sri Lankan "interment" camps. Holmes said that he disagrees. Who is one to believe? Watch this site.

In Sri Lanka, Red Cross Barred from "Interment" Camps Despite UN's Rosy Picture

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 27 -- While the International Committee of the Red Cross went public Wednesday in Geneva with the fact that the Sri Lankan government is running interment camps to which Red Cross workers do not have access, in New York the UN's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said that "since the Secretary General's visit to Sri Lanka, an interim measure has been agreed" in which aid agency vehicles including trucks are allowed into all Manik Farm zones, only not in convoys and not with agency flags. Video here, from Minute 2:30.

Inner City Press asked Mr. Okabe to square to the two statements, if there are camps that the UN has access to that the Red Cross does not. Ms. Okabe claimed that Inner City Press hadn't heard the statement by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -- in fact, it was that very positive report that Inner City Press was questioning -- and then said that OCHA's John Holmes had spoken about food needs, to the "follow up with OCHA." Video here, from Minute 15:53.

The question is not whether the UN has and can deliver food. The question is, even as to the camps it can visit is the UN enabling and blessing interment camps by providing funds and materiel? And what about the camps that the Red Cross has now said publicly it is being blocked from visiting -- is the UN there? Or does the UN not care, or not care that the public knows?

From the phrasing of OCHA's update -- "since the Secretary General's visit an interim measure has been agreed" -- many infer that UN OCHA is more concerned about making Ban Ki-moon look good than about raising the red flag when civilians are being cut off from aid and monitors. The usually silent Red Cross is complaining, and the UN is saying the government is going a great job, just needs more resources. More resources for interment?

Guard in Manik Farm camp, (c) M. Lee May 2009

Also in Geneva, the Human Rights Council's procedures allowed Sri Lanka to claim the upper hand in the debate about whether its conduct in its military offensive in the north should be investigated. Sri Lanka rushed and was the first to table a draft resolution, congratulating itself for its conduct and calling for more money. In a move that left many of the supporters of the US's joining the Human Rights Council shaking their heads, US diplomat Mark Storella urged the 47-member Council to reach a compromise, saying the United States "believes there is a basis for consensus."

The consensus reached omitted any outside investigation, and calls for more funding for Sri Lanka. Some wondered, wasn't the US joining the Human Rights Council supposed to raise human rights standards, not just demonstrate that the Obama administration calls for consensus everywhere?

While Tamils imprisoned in UN-funded camps in Sri Lanka want to be let go, and to live without threat of ethnic violence or oppression, Obama wants to be a friend of all the world and the UN's Ban wants so much to be relevant that he praises the Sri Lankan government efforts and funds them.

Inner City Press has heard from local sources of Tamil store owners, for example, being besieged by Sinhalese demands for money "since you lost." The UN, which is supposed to be watching for such dangerous signs and trends, is at least publicly and at the highest levels blissfully unaware. As one source told Inner City Press, if this is the way the Sri Lankan government and majority acts while the world is (half) watching, imagine what they'll go later. Watch this site.

Back from Sri Lanka, UN's Holmes Admits NGO Killings and Restrictions Not Raised

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 26 -- Just back to the United Nations from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's surreal tour of Sri Lanka, Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador John Sawers if the UN paying for interment camps for Tamils rounded up from throughout northern Sri Lanka compiles with international humanitarian law.

Ambassador Sawers, rather than answer, said that there has been a "high level of attention" to the issue by the UN, by envoy Vijay Nambiar, humanitarian chief John Holmes and the visit of the Secretary General over the weekend. There's been not report to the Security Council yet, Sawers said, we look forward to that and "we'll have to consider steps after that." Video here, from Minute 6:15.

Ban Ki-moon is still out of New York. John Holmes took questions by phone, since he was outside of the UN (some said in Upstate New York). Inner City Press asked Holmes about the people looked up in the camps who were not in the final conflict zone. "I was not aware of that," Holmes said, arguing that "the whole Vanni" or jungle area was under Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam control "so in a sense was the conflict zone." Video here, from Minute 21:15.

Interviews in the camps, even under the watchful eyes of Sri Lankan soldiers and seemingly pro-government UN personnel nevertheless revealed that people were swept into the camps. The goal, if not to move members of the Sinhala majority into the now-vacated areas, is to screen anyone who lived under the LTTE for whether they support Tamil separatism or autonomy. Should the UN be assisting in such ideological if not ethnic cleansing?

Holmes insisted that "there is no question of the UN funding the sweeping up," the UN is "only providing emergency relief in the camps." But if the camps are being used, not as a temporary fix to a natural disaster but to ethnic and ideological screening, providing food and money -- and in the case of UNOPS, planning the camps and helping build them -- makes the UN's role more direct, and problematic.

Inner City Press asked Holmes if Ban Ki-moon, in his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaka, has raised the issue of press freedom, including of the editor will last year, and other reports who have been harassed, arrested and disappeared, and of the aid workers, including from Action Contre la Faim, who have been killed, allegedly by pro-government militias. No, Holmes said, neither issue was raised by Ban in his meetings. He did not say, why not?

The government's proposed Memorandum of Understanding it wants NGOs to sign would require them to provide information on all their clients, which these NGOs don't do anywhere in the world. Since a number of NGOs have told Inner City Press that they are not in the best position to fight the proposed MOU, as they are working in Sri Lanka; they would like to see John Holmes and OCHA take the lead in fighting back the intrusive NGO. Holmes admitted that the "MOU was not raise by the Secretary-General," and said that the issue had been set on the side. He did not say, by whom?

Tamil IDPs in Manik Farm await UN's Ban with baited breathe, May 23 (c) M.Lee

Since some NGOs have expressed concern about the publication statements about what they expect from Holmes' OCHA -- to fight back against the MOU, for example -- and in light of major NGOs' summary from last week that John Holmes "had objected to the trip, as many of you know," Inner City Press asked Holmes about this position, and to explain it. Holmes replied that "I did not say to the NGOs that I was against the visit, I simply said that there were some tricky presentational aspect about which we were very well aware and that we would be dealing with while there, and which I think we did successfully."

Apparently, Holmes was comfortable with the "presentational aspects" of children in the camps being forced to sing "Ban Ki-moon" to the Secretary General, and of Ban acceding to Rajapaksa's demand that they meet not in the capital but in the Buddhist shrine town of Kandy, which many say was a message to Tamils, we win, you lose. In fact, there are reports of Tamil shopkeepers in Colombo being besieged by Sinhala mobs and told to pay money, since "you lost." The UN should be countering such trends, not covering them up or, worse, stoking them.

Lynn Pascoe was also at the briefing, but said less. When Inner City Press asked about reports that Tamil MPs were barred by the government from entering the Colombo airport's VIP lounge for the meeting they had been promised with Bank Ki-moon, Pascoe said he is investigating those reports and will "pass on to Maria" [Okabe, the Deputy Spokesperson] what he learns. Inner City Press asked about the symbolism of the visit to Kandy. Pascoe said it was a misperception and that "when a government says where, it's their decision."

Inner City Press asked both Pascoe and Holmes if they thought the forcing children in the camps to sing to Ban Ki-moon was appropriate. Pascoe said that he's seen children waiting in the sun for longer than he could put up with, and not only in camps. Video here, from Minute 34:34. Holmes did not answer about the appropriateness of the forced signing and flag waving in the UN-funded camps. Watch this site.

Footnote: as the Human Rights Council in Geneva takes up the question of Sri Lanka, not only is there a pro-Rajapaksa resolution, now there is a Swiss proposed compromise, which would ask the Rajapaksa administration to investigate itself...

In Sri Lanka, UN Shown Blown Out Land Devoid of People, UN Preaches Partnership Not Prosecution

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press: News Analysis

OVER NO FIRE ZONE, SRI LANKA, May 23, updated -- On three Sri Lankan military helicopters, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, his entourage and the Press were flown over the so-called No Fire Zone. Beneath lay shattered buildings and expanses of torn tents and burned out vehicles, even a burned out ship. The approach to the No Fire Zone was eerily quiet, with white birds flying over farmhouses with no roofs and livestock running free and untended. The government of Mahinda Rajapaksa, clearly, is proud of its handiwork. But what to make of it?

Consider, for a moment, if the Sudanese government offered tours of South Darfur, showing where it had routed the Justice and Equality Movement and burned out all the buildings, and then moved all civilians to interment camps surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers. Even more than now, advocates and Western countries would call "genocide."

But Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said, we must help the Sri Lankan government. He pledged aid for the interment camps. He came close to saying the pounding in the north was a cause for joy for many. What is the difference? Was this not a war crimes tour?

Strangely, there were some people down in the shattered Zone. They stared up at the helicopter and waved their arms. The copters did not stop. The excuse given, by or about the UN's Vijay Nambiar, was that the Zone is too dangerous to visit. But there were people walking there, among the tattered tents and running wild dogs.

After the mind numbing helicopter tour, reporter gorged on Sri Lankan Air Force curry and looked at the photos they'd taken. These are war crimes on a platter, said one, as another reporter returned for a second round of cashew curry.

The next stop, before any Internet, would be President Rajapaksa in the historic city of Kandy. It contains a famous Buddhist temple, and one UN official admitted to Inner City Press that Rajapaksa was adament that Ban come to Kandy, and wanted to parade him through the Buddhist temple of the tooth. Rajapaksa's really rubbing our noses in it, the official said.

When the UN is desperate to be relevant, this is what can happen.

UN's Holmes and Pascoe being questioned by Press on plane

There followed a summary of what John Holmes told NGOs behind closed doors, which even filing from Sri Lanka we'll run in full:

John Holmes

Timing of the trip is "tricky," point is not to "join the celebrations"; will have to be careful. [In-house, JH had objected to the trip, as many of you know];

Trip will be de facto a 12-hr day; he cannot extend;

Plan is to go to camps; overfly conflict zone, depending on weather conditions; meet President and other high-level officials; speak to press; hopefully meet with civil society (not certain that would happen);

It's "pretty clear there's nobody in the conflict zone, other than soldiers." UN has flown over, nothing to be seen from helicopter. Still, possible to have bodies/people in hiding;

On overcrowding in camps: NGOs/UN has to be clear about what we want. Do we want to move them to another camp or not? Clearly we want quick returns but in the meantime...

Have not heard anything about [threat of] suspension of humanitarian activities; just got off the phone with UN in SL; ICRC had raised possibility but backed down;

On disappearances: not clear how many are sinister. Known that hard-line cadres are given over to police and are sent to rehabilitation centres. Reasonably clear that GoSL will try to make sure remaining LTTE top leadership won't make it out alive;

LTTE lower cadres are not really separated from civilians, all enter camps together, which is not necessarily a good thing, because all are then viewed as suspects;

Will be pretty hard to get UN political presence in country; govt very resistant, uses "home-grown solution" language very deliberately;

On the doctors: they are in detention but are 'healthy' and 'ok, as far as one can be ok in detention' ;

On UNSC: we have not focused on that, happy to brief if requested;

The strategy is still to keep on with high-level visits, but will see how this will happen;

On numbers: we have no idea how many have died in the last three days. Generally, hard to verify numbers, so have been using "some

thousands."

[Later on, an OCHA staffer advised NGOs to press the issue of MoUs, also to create more space for the pro-active Holmes.]

On just this last point, NGOs have told Inner City Press that they are ill-positioned to be the ones who stand up to the Rajapaksa Administration in Sri Lanka, that they think the UN and OCHA should do it. Now OCHA, or the "pro-active Holmes" in OCHA-speak, passes the buck back to them.

Likewise, there is no real push-back to the exclusion of vehicles from the IDP camps. The minutes say that ICRC (the Red Cross) "backed down." While some UN sources have told Inner City Press that UN staff are threatening a de facto boycott, Holmes told the Press on the plane ride to Sri Lanka that this is not the case, that access and work continues.

It appears that the Secretariat may not even push to have Ban Ki-moon briefing the Security Council upon his return to New York. Then again, in April Ban Ki-moon was only in New York three times, for a total of five days. A lot is being "phased out."

Inner City Press accompanied Ban and Holmes on their whirlwind tour May 23 -- see www.innercitypress.com

Click here for a short list, compiled on the plane, of other issues Ban might look into about Sri Lanka

Footnote / full disclosure: this reporter has been granted a visa, albeit for only two days, gratis by the Sri Lankan mission to the UN. A request for more than two days resulted in instructions to write a letter, which will be considered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo “after a background check.” Watch this site.

In Sri Lanka, No Access to Carnage Until Victory Speech, UN Lowers Expectations

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 – As the brothers Rajapaksa declare victory in northern Sri Lanka, from the conflict zone closed to press come reports of thousands dead, and thousands more injured. There will be no access, it is predicted, until after President Mahinda Rajapaksa's speech slated for Tuesday.

Until then the injured will die, and some predict mass graves and cover up, pleading via sat-phone to Inner City Press to please get the UN to take satellite photographs to preserve the evidence. But the UN withheld even the photographs their UNOSAT already had.

A press briefing has been set up for May 18 in New York, not by Ban Ki-moon's envoy Vijay Nambiar but rather by humanitarian chief John Holmes, who was visited decidedly less bloody zones during Sri Lanka's final push into the conflict zone. People are asking, where is Vijay Nambiar? He used to answer, to his credit if not be responsive to, text messages from Inner City Press.

Now even to a question 24 hours ago of what the UN is doing for the doctors being interrogated by the Sri Lanka government he has not answered. On the plane headed to Colombo he did speak to two publications, both British, and delivered a decidedly resigned message, that he doubted the government would stop. Was he reducing expectations? Or once again would he be perceived as giving the UN's blessing?

As Inner City Press reported in recent weeks, most who Ban Ki-moon chose as his advisers counseled letting the Sri Lanka conflict “run its course,” and only going to visit “after the dust settled.” We predicted then that just such a visit would happen, and we intend to cover it. Watch this site.

Below is yesterday's story, to which we can add that we've since heard that are seven doctors in this situation, not three or four...

As Sri Lanka Holds Doctors Incommunicado, UN Deaf and Dumb

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 16 – Doctors who remained in northern Sri Lanka's bloody conflict zone are now being held incommunicado by the government in Omanthai, sources tell Inner City Press. Along with Doctors Varatharajah and Shanmugarajah, Dr.Thangamutha Sathiyamoorth, the regional director of Health Services in Kilinochchi whose May 13 dispatch about that day's the shelling of the last remaining hospital in the “No Fire” Zone was published in Inner City Press only yesterday, is being held without visits even from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In New York, Inner City Press had asked top UN humanitarian John Holmes weeks ago if he had heard that the government had stopped paying doctors in the conflict zone, and was threatening them, if they provided casualty figures or other information, with interrogation, torture and even death when they were captured. Holmes said he hadn't heard of it.

In Sri Lanka, the UN provided assurances that it would provide security for the doctors when the time came, according to local sources. But now, even with Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar in the country, nothing appears to be being done about these doctors. The question has been asked, but no answer received.

UN's Nambiar with Lynn Pascoe and Dervis, Sri Lankan doctors not shown

The UN previously said nothing when its own staff members were interred in IDP camps, or in other cases incarcerated by the government for not speaking Sinhalese, or in the case of the UN refugee agency's protection officer in Vanvuniya, for having a mother who inadvertently rented a room to an LTTE member.

Targeting doctors is a war crime, complicity in it no less so. Watch this site.

We closed yesterday with this message, from Dr. Sathiyamoorthy

13 May 2009

Dear Sir / Madam,

Heavy battle started since 5.30 am. Many wounded civilians were brought to hospital and hospital is not providing services because hospital was under shell attack. Few staff reported duty. nearly thousand patients are waiting to get daily treatment. But even simple wound dressing and giving antibiotics problems. So many wounded have to die. In the ward among patients many death bodies are there.

Looking hospital seen and hearing the civilians cry really disaster. Did they make any mistake do the world by the innocent. But the important sta[keholders] are just listening the situation and not helping the people.

Dr.T.Sathiyamoorthy

Regional director of Health Services

Kilinochchi (Now at No Fire Zone)

UN Hides As War Criminal Bosco Surfaces in April 4 Congolese Army Minutes (Sri Lanka below)

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 7, updated -- When it comes to working with war criminals, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is willing and even wants to be deceived. Bosco Ntaganda, indicted by the International Criminal Court, appears in minutes of an April 4 meeting of the Congolese Army, known by its French acronym FARDC.

Four days later, the head of the MONUC mission, Alan Doss, received a Daily Report of “unconfirmed rumours of Bosco Ntaganda's designation as Deputy Commander of Operation Kimia II,” to which MONUC provided assistance. Click here to view the April 8, 2009 Daily Report.

What the UN did next is to ask the FARDC to tell them that Bosco was not a deputy commander. The UN has spend billions of dollars in the Congo, largely to the benefit of current president Joseph Kabila. His FARDC told the UN want they wanted to hear. But no explanation of the April 4 FARDC minutes, reproduced below, has been provided.

A UN official involved in preparing MONUC's response, below, told Inner City Press that as long as Doss received assurances from FARDC, it doesn't matter what the leaked minutes show, or even if they are true: the UN”s hands are clean. These dubious assertions should be a topic of the UN Security Council's African trip later this month, along with proposals to send Bosco Ntanganda's previous boss, Laurent Nkunda, from Rwanda into exile in a country other than the DRC.

On April 9, the day after Doss had gotten the Daily Report about Bosco's involvement in the FARDC's Operation Kimia II, Inner City Press asked Doss to confirm that MONUC had earlier received a request to help arrest Bosco. Doss confirmed that, among other things (click here for that story, and here for the request to MONUC about Bosco, and Doss' predessessor William Lacy Swing's response.) Doss said the request "has not been renewed," adding that MONUC will not work with Bosco. But see below.

On April 29, Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq

Inner City Press: do you have a response to these reports that Bosco, the ICC indictee for war crimes, was described as a deputy coordinator in the Congolese Army action against the FDLR, and also, therefore, calling into question the UN statement that it doesn’t work with indicted war criminals.

Associate Spokesperson: Yes, we’re aware of those reports. At the same time, the UN Mission in the DRC, MONUC, has not seen the documents that were referred to in the media reports that allegedly showed that Jean Bosco Ntaganda was part of the joint operation. Actually, on the contrary, the DRC authorities have shown MONUC relevant documents defining the operation’s command structure, which does not make any mention of Mr. Ntaganda. MONUC has clearly stated that it will not conduct or support joint operations in which Jean Bosco Ntaganda plays a part. This has been communicated directly to the DRC Minister of Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff, who in turn have assured MONUC that Mr. Ntanganda is not a part of any joint operation’s command structure. MONUC leadership continues to engage with our Congolese interlocutors on this matter.

Inner City Press: Even when you actually see this document, what will the UN do if it turns out he was the deputy commander of that operation?

Associate Spokesperson: Well, as I just said, we continue to engage with our Congolese interlocutors. But I’ve told you exactly the precise assurances that we’ve been given by the Government of the DRC on this. And as for the hypothetical question, we’ll cross that bridge if that is a reality.

Well, now it is a reality. The April 4 FARDC minutes, obtained by Inner City Press, show in paragraph (d) Bosco Ntaganda taking the floor, and described him as deputy commander:

REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO

FORCES ARMEES

OPERATION KIMIA II

COORDINATION

RAPPORT DE LA REUNION TENUE PAR LE COORD DE L’ OPS KIMIA II

EN DATE DU 04/04/2009

1. Ordre du jour :

a) Remerciements

b) Message du Comd Suprême

c) Directives du Coord des Ops

d) Divers.

2. Développement

a. Le Coord a remercié le Pers de l’EM de l’accueil lui réservé lors de

son arrivée et de l’enthousiasme manifesté à son endroit lors de la remise

et reprise avec le ChefEM FT ce 03 Avril 2009.

b. Message du Comd Suprême

Le Coord a transmis à l’assistance les directives du Comd Suprême sur le profil que doivent afficher les Mil des FARDC notamment ceux œuvrant dans les provinces du NORD et du SUD KIVU.

- Eviter tout esprit rétrograde ; NE PAS revenir aux mêmes méfaits qui

provoquent souvent les rebellions.

- Travailler plus pour l’intérêt de la population et ce défi doit à tout

prix être relevé ; Ainsi nous devons nous atteler à gagner la confiance de

la Pop à laquelle nous devons beaucoup de respect. A ce sujet, le Comd

Suprême est strict. Les viols, pillages, tortures et autres traitements

dégradants infligés à la Pop doivent cesser a renchéri le Coord.

- Enfin, indigné par les jugements portés contre les FARDC dans les médias face au phénomène FDLR, le Comd Suprême nous lance un défi. NE doutant nullement des capacités des FARDC à combattre efficacement les FDLR, il attend les résultats probants et fera régulièrement lui-même l’évaluation de la Sit.

- Les Comd d’unités doivent privilégier l’intérêt des Tp et éviter le détournement des moyens mis à leur disposition

c). Instructions du Coord des Ops

(1) Continuité dans le travail entamé par le Comd des Ops conjointes et

le Chef EM FT.

- Traquer et détruire les FDLR dans tous leurs retranchements dans le

NORD KIVU

- Attaquer et détruire toutes les Positions FDLR dans le SUD KIVU.

(2) La chaîne Log est à revoir en vue de s’assurer que les moyens

arrivent au soldat.

(3) Eviter la bureaucratie et se trouver plus sur terrain pour mieux

Suivre l’évolution des Ops.

(4) Respecter la voie hiérarchique, tous les rapports doivent passer à

priori par le Coord des Ops.

(5) NE PAS garder des tourments dans les cœurs mais se confier

toujours à l’autorité

(6) Les planifications des Ops devront se faire en Coord avec la MONUC