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Russia & China Strongly Objects for listing Sri Lanka to Security Council
Portugal, Russia & China had strongly objected at the Security Council meeting, when it met on the 18 of April, for mentioning about the UN Secretary Generals Experts Panel on Accountability Report on Sri Lanka.
Asian Tribune learnt that UN Panel of Experts' report was mentioned in advance, as topics of the Security Council briefing on the afternoon of April 18, by Lynn Pascoe, Chief of UN Department of Political Affairs.
Mentioning of UN Secretary Generals Experts Panels report for trying to maneuver it as a briefing paper on Sri Lanka was objected very strongly.
Normally a report of this nature has to be listed for discussion at the Security Council either by the UN Secretary General or by one of the country representing in the Security Council.
On 22 June 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a panel of experts to advise him on the accountability issues relating to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka, that ended on 19 May 2009.
It was told that the three-member panel will advise Ban Ki-moon on implementing the commitment on human rights accountability made in the Joint Statement issued by the Secretary-General and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the UN chief visited the island country in May 2009.
Accordingly, Indonesias Marzuki Darusman served as the chair of the expert panel, and the other two members are Yasmin Sooka of South Africa and Steven Ratner of the United States.
The experts were to examine the modalities, applicable international standards and comparative experience with regard to accountability processes, taking into account the nature and scope of any alleged violations in Sri Lanka, according to a statement issued by Ban Ki-moons spokesperson.
On last 12, the Expets Panel report was made available to Un Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Accordingly, on 12 April Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff of UN Secretary Generals Secretariat, handed over a copy of the Report to Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative General Shavendra Silva. It was also told to General Shavendra Silva that, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would be releasing and make public the report within 36 hours.
No sooner Sri Lanka Government received a copy of the report it issued a preliminary statement and has said the report is fundamentally flawed in many respects.
Sri Lankas External Affairs Ministry further said, "Among other deficiencies, the report is based on patently biased material, which is presented without verification."
"The Government will, in due course, comment in detail on the contents of the Report," the statement added.
It has to be pointed out that even a common criminal is given an opportunity to make his final statement, prior to delivering a judgment. But UN Secretary General has failed to provide an opportunity for Sri Lanka to provide its side of the story before the report is being released.
It is alleged that it was highly inconsistent with normal practices and it was also inconsistent with the acceptable legal practices to release a report without giving an opportunity for Sri Lanka to give it version.
Furthermore, UN Secretary General is under no legal obligation to give to anybody, unless he wants to create political problems to Sri Lanka.
In the meantime, it was alleged that the excerpts of the UN Experts Panels report was secretly released to press. Who released the excerpts of the report was everyones guess.
UN sources alleged that the report was released by the Sri Lankan Government.
But Sri Lankan sources raised a logical question with 'Asian Tribune', saying if in case Sri Lankan Government sources released the report, you expect them to release it even to Channel 4?
Sri Lanka Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris will address the Media today on the report.
It is also expected that the Minister will be briefing the Colombo based diplomats on the UN Secretary Generals Experts Panel Report on Sri Lanka.
'Asian Tribune' learnt that already the Minister has met with Nihal Rodrigo, Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara and K. Godage on 12 and 13 of this month, to prepare an official response to the report of the Experts Panel appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Nihal Rodrigo, Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara were earlier Secretaries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and K. Godage was an additional Secretary.
Also Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara served as Sri Lankas Permanent Representatives in New York and Nihal Rodrigo as Deputy Permanent Representative.
Portugal, Russia and China strongly objected for listing the UN Experts Panel Report on Sri Lanka to the Security Council | Asian Tribune
Portugal, Russia & China had strongly objected at the Security Council meeting, when it met on the 18 of April, for mentioning about the UN Secretary Generals Experts Panel on Accountability Report on Sri Lanka.
Asian Tribune learnt that UN Panel of Experts' report was mentioned in advance, as topics of the Security Council briefing on the afternoon of April 18, by Lynn Pascoe, Chief of UN Department of Political Affairs.
Mentioning of UN Secretary Generals Experts Panels report for trying to maneuver it as a briefing paper on Sri Lanka was objected very strongly.
Normally a report of this nature has to be listed for discussion at the Security Council either by the UN Secretary General or by one of the country representing in the Security Council.
On 22 June 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a panel of experts to advise him on the accountability issues relating to alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka, that ended on 19 May 2009.
It was told that the three-member panel will advise Ban Ki-moon on implementing the commitment on human rights accountability made in the Joint Statement issued by the Secretary-General and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa after the UN chief visited the island country in May 2009.
Accordingly, Indonesias Marzuki Darusman served as the chair of the expert panel, and the other two members are Yasmin Sooka of South Africa and Steven Ratner of the United States.
The experts were to examine the modalities, applicable international standards and comparative experience with regard to accountability processes, taking into account the nature and scope of any alleged violations in Sri Lanka, according to a statement issued by Ban Ki-moons spokesperson.
On last 12, the Expets Panel report was made available to Un Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Accordingly, on 12 April Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff of UN Secretary Generals Secretariat, handed over a copy of the Report to Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative General Shavendra Silva. It was also told to General Shavendra Silva that, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would be releasing and make public the report within 36 hours.
No sooner Sri Lanka Government received a copy of the report it issued a preliminary statement and has said the report is fundamentally flawed in many respects.
Sri Lankas External Affairs Ministry further said, "Among other deficiencies, the report is based on patently biased material, which is presented without verification."
"The Government will, in due course, comment in detail on the contents of the Report," the statement added.
It has to be pointed out that even a common criminal is given an opportunity to make his final statement, prior to delivering a judgment. But UN Secretary General has failed to provide an opportunity for Sri Lanka to provide its side of the story before the report is being released.
It is alleged that it was highly inconsistent with normal practices and it was also inconsistent with the acceptable legal practices to release a report without giving an opportunity for Sri Lanka to give it version.
Furthermore, UN Secretary General is under no legal obligation to give to anybody, unless he wants to create political problems to Sri Lanka.
In the meantime, it was alleged that the excerpts of the UN Experts Panels report was secretly released to press. Who released the excerpts of the report was everyones guess.
UN sources alleged that the report was released by the Sri Lankan Government.
But Sri Lankan sources raised a logical question with 'Asian Tribune', saying if in case Sri Lankan Government sources released the report, you expect them to release it even to Channel 4?
Sri Lanka Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris will address the Media today on the report.
It is also expected that the Minister will be briefing the Colombo based diplomats on the UN Secretary Generals Experts Panel Report on Sri Lanka.
'Asian Tribune' learnt that already the Minister has met with Nihal Rodrigo, Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara and K. Godage on 12 and 13 of this month, to prepare an official response to the report of the Experts Panel appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Nihal Rodrigo, Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara were earlier Secretaries to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and K. Godage was an additional Secretary.
Also Bernard Gunatilaka, H. M.M.G.S. Palihakkara served as Sri Lankas Permanent Representatives in New York and Nihal Rodrigo as Deputy Permanent Representative.
Portugal, Russia and China strongly objected for listing the UN Experts Panel Report on Sri Lanka to the Security Council | Asian Tribune
