On Sri Lanka Bannning NGOs Communicating

with Press, Ban Passes Buck

By Matthew Russell Lee
UNI!" N#IONS, $uly % && #'ter Sri Lanka(s Minister o' )"e'ense an* Ur+an "e,elo-ment)
issue* an or*er +anning all non&go,ernmental organi.ations 'rom -ress con'erences,
worksho-s, training 'or /ournalists, an* *issemination o' -ress releases which is +eyon* their
man*ate,) Inner City Press on $uly 0 aske* UN "e-uty S-okes-erson 1arhan 2a3 a+out
it45i*eo here, on Inner City Press( 6ouu+e channel4
Inner City Press aske*, since UN en,oy Oscar 1ernan*e. aranco was recently in Sri Lanka,
ha* he s-oken to the Ra/a-aksa go,ernment a+out this crack&*own, or *i* he ha,e any
comment now7
2a3 re-lie*, )8e(ll ha,e to stu*y what this -articular in/unction was444 we(ll ha,e to e,aluate
that4)
But 9: hours later on $uly %, a'ter lea* UN S-okesman Ste-hane "u/arric ha* alrea*y
+elate*ly +egun the *ay(s noon +rie'ing && an* a'ter ; -m in Gene,a && the S-okes-erson(s
O''ice sent Inner City Press this<
"ate< ue, $ul %, 9=>: at >9<>% PM
1rom< UN S-okes-erson & "o Not Re-ly ?at@ un4org
Su+/ect< 6our 3uestion on Sri Lanka4
o< Matthew4Lee ?at@ innercity-ress4com
Regar*ing Sri Lanka, -lease kin*ly *irect your 3uestion 'rom yester*ay(s noon +rie'ing to
O2C2R4
So this was the result o' the UN Secretariat(s )e,aluation) && to -ass the +uck to Na,i Pillay(s
o''ice7 Meanwhile me*ia in Sri Lanka ha* re-orte* that 2a3(s Aor 2ak(sB o''ice woul* +e
making a commentC a -ress 'ree*om organi.ation there consulte* +y the 1ree UN Coalition 'or
#ccess com-laine* the or*er woul* chill the 'ree*om to re-ort4 8hat was the -ur-ose o' the
UN(s Oscar 1ernan*e. aran*o(s tri- to Sri Lanka7 8hat *oes Ban(s )Rights U- 1ront) -olicy,
announce* a'ter systemic 'ailure in Sri Lanka, really mean7
Object1
#'ter UN o''icial Oscar 1ernan*e. aranco ,isite* Sri Lanka +ut has re'use* to take Press
3uestions u-on his return to New 6ork, Inner City Press aske* UN s-okesman Ste-hane
"u/arric on $une 9; a+out a -rotest,,i*eo here<
Inner City Press< hereDs a -rotest sche*ule* 'or to*ay at > -4m4 on :0th Street o' mostly -eo-le
'rom Sri Lanka an* elsewhere a+out the ,iolence there4 #n* theyD,e sai* that they inten* to
han* a letter to the Secretariat, seeking action against the action there4 I wante* to know< is this
going to +e -ossi+le7 Is Mr4 ?Oscar 1ernan*e.&@ aranco444 itDs great that Mr4 Eimono,ic will
+rie' on Burun*i4 It seems like itDs a kin* o' a similar situation4 #n* is the UN aware o' this7
#n* what has +een the reaction to the u-swing in ,iolence in Sri Lanka7
S-okesman "u/arric< I think weD,e s-oken a+out this 'rom this -o*ium4 8eD,e con*emne* the
,iolence that weD,e seen recently4 #n* o+,iously, the Secretary&General 'ully +acks the e''orts
o' the 2igh Commissioner 'or 2uman Rights4 #s 'or the *emonstration, I was unaware o' it4 I'
I ha,e any in'ormation, I will let you know4
Inner City Press< hat -anel is a+out war crimes at the en* o' the con'lict on +oth si*es,
whereas this is something thatDs actually taking -lace currently4 hatDs why IDm sort o' asking,
like, *i* Mr4 aranco *eal with this issue while he was there7
S-okesman "u/arric< #s I sai*, I share* with you what I ha* on Mr4 arancoDs ,isit4
he -rotest took -lace< see Inner City Press tweete* -hoto here4
In a -re,ious -rotest +y Sri Lankan amils, the UN sent a lower le,el 'unctionary who tol* the
-rotesters the letter woul* +e re/ecte* i' they tol* the Press a+out it4 "u/arric sai* he woul*
check4 his comes ami* much hy-ocrisy at the UN4
he UN has entirely stonewalle* Press 3uestions a+out the new 8hite 1lag killings re-ort an*
the light it she*s on current UN o''icial 5i/ay Nam+iar an* 'ormer UN o''icial, now Sri Lankan
#m+assa*or Palitha Fohona4
It was a+out a -ast 'inancial relationshi- +etween Fohona an* the -resi*ent o' the UN
Corres-on*ents #ssociation, who then agree* to an UNC# screening o' a Ra/a-aksa
go,ernment mo,ie *enying war crimes that UNC# trie* to censor4
8hen Inner City Press re-orte* on the +ackgroun* to Fohona getting the Ra/a-aksa
go,ernment(s *enial o' war crimes, GLies #gree* o,H screene* in the "ag 2ammar/kol*
Li+rary au*itorium, the reaction 'rom the then&-resi*ent an* eIecuti,e committee o' the Unite*
Nations Corres-on*ents #ssociation are summari.e* here4 One wag won*ere* whether the
9==J Bloo*+ath on the Beach has now +een echoe* as Blowhar*s on the Beach,here4
In Sri Lanka now the Ra/a-aksa go,ernment +locks we+sites it *oesn(t like4 he UNC# +oar*
aske* that Inner City Press articles +e remo,e* 'rom the internet4 his was re'use*4 One UNC#
+oar* mem+er claime* to Google that his G'or the recor*H com-laint to the UN trying to get
Inner City Press thrown out was in 'act -ri,ate an* Gco-yrighte*4H 2ere is a res-onse 'rom the
!lectronic 1rontier 1oun*ation4
his got it +anne* 'rom Google(s Search, un*er the US "igital Millennium Co-yright #ct,
which threatens to +e glo+ali.e* through the rans Paci'ic Partnershi-4 8ho sai* there is not
censorshi- in the UN, an* in the Unite* States7
Now the new 1ree UN Coalition 'or #ccess o--oses all o' this, an*attacks on me*ia work
+oth insi*e the UN +oth 'urther a'iel* an* as close at :0th Street, west o' 1irst #,enue4 8atch
this site4