UN Report Says Sri Lanka Restricted Invitation then Took Back, Despite Ban Claims

by Matthew Russell Lee

Inner City Press

(April 25, New York City, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Sri Lanka war crimes report by the UN Panel of Experts says that the government of Sri Lanka in December 2010 said the Panel could visit the country only to make representations to the Rajapaksa appointed Lessons Learn & Reconciliation Commission, and then reversed even that invitation in January 2011.

From Paragraph 21: “The Panel notes that it reiterated its willingness to visit the country even after the Government insisted in a letter in December 2010 that the Panel could only make 'representations' to the LLRC. Yet the Government rejected this overture in a note in early January 2011 and never pursued the visit thereafter.”

What then to make of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's public statement in December 2010 thanking Mahinda Rajapaksa for his “flexibility” in allowed the Panel to visit, and Ban in January 2011 repeating to Inner City Press that the Panel could visit?

Ban and Nambiar, Sri Lanka report now seen, no thanks to UN

The Report in Annex 2 makes clear that Sri Lankan ambassador Palitha Kohona set up a February 22, 2011 meeting between Attorney General Mohan Peiris and the Panel. 

But Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky, when Inner City Press asked if Mohan Peiris had met with the Panel, said you where there with a camera, you saw it did not happen.

On April 25, having seen the whole report, Inner City Press asked Nesirky to now confirm the February 22 meeting, and to explain why he had said it did not happen.

I give you the information when I get it, was his response.

Inner City Press asked if he had not been told of this meeting when he answered Inner City Press the first time.

I give you the information when I get it, he repeated.

But what about Ban's public claims in December and January that the Panel could go to Sri Lanka? These don't square with the report, which Nesirky now says will belatedly be released by the UN later on April 25.