Sri Lanka: need stronger action by U.N.

I have to say I’m disappointed.  Today, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed members of the Security Council in an informal session about his May 22 visit to Sri Lanka.  The members of the Council took no action as the session reportedly was just a briefing.  Afterwards, the Secretary-General spoke to reporters. 

Secretary-General Ban told reporters that he’d been informed by the Sri Lankan government that restrictions on access by aid agencies to the internment camps holding displaced civilians had been eased since his visit.  Nearly 300,000 civilians displaced by the recent fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the opposition Tamil Tigers are being held in overcrowded camps which they can’t leave.  Amnesty International has called for the Sri Lankan government to provide unimpeded access to the camps for aid agencies.  Today, the U.N. World Food Programme said that access to the camps had improved somewhat over the last few days, but also that they hoped there’d be more improvement in access soon.  Other U.N. agencies today said that continuing restrictions on access to the displaced civilians were preventing them from meeting the needs of the civilians, especially some 10,000 children in the camps suffering from acute malnutrition.

The Secretary-General also said today there should be a “proper investigation” into allegations of violations of humanitarian law.  But he clarified in response to a question that he was looking for an investigation by the Sri Lankan government, not an international inquiry.  He referred to the joint statement issued by the U.N. and the Sri Lankan government at the conclusion of his May 22 visit to Sri Lanka, in which the Sri Lankan government promised to establish an investigation into those violations.  Amnesty International has been calling for an international investigation, not one simply conducted by the Sri Lankan government. 

I don’t know if we can expect action by the Security Council anytime soon on Sri Lanka.  I hope the Secretary-General changes his position and pushes harder for immediate, unimpeded access to the camps for the aid agencies.  Further, if the Security Council doesn’t soon establish an international investigation into the human rights violations and war crimes committed by both sides during the fighting, the Secretary-General take steps to set one up himself.  That’s the leadership that the international community, and especially the displaced civilians in Sri Lanka, need from the U.N.

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4 thoughts on “Sri Lanka: need stronger action by U.N.

  1. "Secretary-General Ban told reporters that he’d been informed by the Sri Lankan government that restrictions on access by aid agencies to the internment camps holding displaced civilians had been eased since his visit" – SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM ????

    Being more informed of the situation, if the UN general secretary is happy, I don't see a problem and any reason for any organization to worry about the situation in SL.

    Given what occurred in the past where LTTE supporters aided the LTTE militarily and otherwise, obviously you cannot expect the GOSL to trust and send every Dick, Tom and Harry to these zones in the name of Aid organizations ?????????????????

    JIM – I trust that this is your full time responsibility – to look in to activities in SL… I think you are running out of time in your job scope !! There is no need anymore as the cause has been eliminated and everyone here is happy in returning to their own free lives… !

    After 26 years of failure due to the government needing to listen to the International community like you, we sorted the issue in less than 3 years… hence, being an internal issue, the best solutions would happen internally – so please keep off and let us be… We have a proud history of more than 2500 years and as all other Asian nations were civilized nations when you guys were toddlers to the word civilization – All barbaric acts in the world history were done by you westerners and not us the Asians. We never killed in name of God or forcefully converted people to our religions…

    Than thumping on this new found word of Civilization for you guys, look at the own mess you have created and try learning something from we Asians !!

  2. “Secretary-General Ban told reporters that he’d been informed by the Sri Lankan government that restrictions on access by aid agencies to the internment camps holding displaced civilians had been eased since his visit” – SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM ????

    Being more informed of the situation, if the UN general secretary is happy, I don’t see a problem and any reason for any organization to worry about the situation in SL.

    Given what occurred in the past where LTTE supporters aided the LTTE militarily and otherwise, obviously you cannot expect the GOSL to trust and send every Dick, Tom and Harry to these zones in the name of Aid organizations ?????????????????

    JIM – I trust that this is your full time responsibility – to look in to activities in SL… I think you are running out of time in your job scope !! There is no need anymore as the cause has been eliminated and everyone here is happy in returning to their own free lives… !

    After 26 years of failure due to the government needing to listen to the International community like you, we sorted the issue in less than 3 years… hence, being an internal issue, the best solutions would happen internally – so please keep off and let us be… We have a proud history of more than 2500 years and as all other Asian nations were civilized nations when you guys were toddlers to the word civilization – All barbaric acts in the world history were done by you westerners and not us the Asians. We never killed in name of God or forcefully converted people to our religions…

    Than thumping on this new found word of Civilization for you guys, look at the own mess you have created and try learning something from we Asians !!

  3. There , that's for you messedup Westerners !! Come see our paradise !! Ooops no, not yet !! No way !! Do you think we're going to let you back in that easy ?? First larn from us Easterners !! How ?? Jes stay where y'all are, IN the West, THEN larn FROM the East !! Larn from a befitting distance, damn you, out of earshot & out of sight & mind of your brandnew gurus !! And sit downwind of us. This is the latest form of Oriental transmission . As for the situation here on lanka, Ban Khi Moon, a real Oriental like us, has it all, on lanka's say so — SO THERE !! What more do you busybodies want ?? Get the new wisdom from the East — everything we do, we do it WITHOUT you ! It's all one internal affair now !! After all that the Tigers did with the West's support, do you think you'll get around us again ?? And as for you, Jim my man, as George W told Michael Moore, get a job !! Find a life !! Fire yourself !! What's that ? The Tamils & their sympathizers are asking you to please go on telling the world what's happening to them ?? That's typical of the Tamils, but we've solved this one too, there's no "minority" here anymore, the term's deleted, so hit the highway . Y'all were kids when we were sages, sitting by the rock of ages !!

  4. There , that’s for you messedup Westerners !! Come see our paradise !! Ooops no, not yet !! No way !! Do you think we’re going to let you back in that easy ?? First larn from us Easterners !! How ?? Jes stay where y’all are, IN the West, THEN larn FROM the East !! Larn from a befitting distance, damn you, out of earshot & out of sight & mind of your brandnew gurus !! And sit downwind of us. This is the latest form of Oriental transmission . As for the situation here on lanka, Ban Khi Moon, a real Oriental like us, has it all, on lanka’s say so — SO THERE !! What more do you busybodies want ?? Get the new wisdom from the East — everything we do, we do it WITHOUT you ! It’s all one internal affair now !! After all that the Tigers did with the West’s support, do you think you’ll get around us again ?? And as for you, Jim my man, as George W told Michael Moore, get a job !! Find a life !! Fire yourself !! What’s that ? The Tamils & their sympathizers are asking you to please go on telling the world what’s happening to them ?? That’s typical of the Tamils, but we’ve solved this one too, there’s no “minority” here anymore, the term’s deleted, so hit the highway . Y’all were kids when we were sages, sitting by the rock of ages !!

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