FM: Might be useful to ask UN Representative for explanation

Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, answered among other questions, put to him by the Sunday Times, those concerning our story last week about the UN mission here in Colombo. We reported that the UN mission was making preparations to establish refugee camps exclusively for Tamil civilians in the "event of a backlash in the South, if Jaffna falls to the LTTE." Following is a verbatim transcript of questions pertaining to this issue taken from the proceedings of last Tuesday's press conference.

Question : Mr. Minister, The Sunday Times reported last week that the head of the UN mission has issued a circular to his staff that the UN plans to convert its offices to refugee camps, in the event of a situation here in the South, consequent to the military developments in the North, and the possible fall of Jaffna. The UN mission has denied the story, but we stand by it.

Mr. Minister, what would be your reaction to such a initiative by the UN, and especially taken in the context of the fact that there is a tendency on the part of certain western powers to make the concept of sovereignty subordinate to so called human rights issues?

Answer: Well, the first point is that I don't know what the factual situation is between yourselves and the UN Representative. I don't know where the truth lies. You say this is your version…they say this is our version and I don't know what the real version is. What I do know is that the UN ambassador here has not consulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We know nothing about this. It is customary, if the UN is taking an initiative of this kind, to consult with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a matter of courtesy. That I can tell you is the factual situation – they have not consulted us. But beyond that I am not sitting in judgment between your version and their version. But if you put to me as you have, "how does the UN system react to a situations of this kind?'', on that ground I can say I am very much against it. As large an operation as setting up refugee camps in anticipation of a backlash upon the fall of Jaffna, is in my opinion a very very serious interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. I will not tolerate that. Not only that; it is alarmist. It is needlessly alarmist, and to do anything that is alarmist in this kind of situation is unforgivable.

On the third question about mandates, there is a developing consensus which was unveiled I would say on a large scale for the first time in public at the UN General Assembly debate last year. In his opening speech the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan issued the statement that the days of primacy of sovereignty are coming to an end and that sovereignty must yield to human rights considerations.

Some countries were in support of that view, but a large number of countries, the very great majority of countries — both big and small -– including members of the UN Security Council were against it; and we are not prepared to countenance the erosion, let alone the complete obliteration of the concept of sovereignty on such grounds. I myself will not tolerate that kind of concept as it would be very easy to make use of it for interference for other purposes.

Question : Mr. Minister, provided our story is correct what action would you take, in light of what you have said, against the UN mission or the head of the UN mission in this country.

Answer: Well, I don't know how I'm going to ascertain whether your story is right or not, but I think it might be useful for the Foreign Ministry to invite the UN representative to come and explain what this is all about.

He may have an adequate explanation - may or may not-but we might as well have a discussion with him as to what this is all about.

Resolution calls for observances

The UN General Assembly in the resolution (Agenda item 174, December 13, 1999) declaring Vesak as an international UN holiday said:

Considering that International recognition at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices would constitute acknowledgement of the contribution that Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made, for over two and a half millennia, and continues to make to the spirituality.

Resolves that, without cost to the United Nations, appropriate arrangements shall be made for international observances of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations offices, in consultation with the relevant United Nations offices and with permanent missions that also wish to be consulted.

UN ignores Vesak in Colombo

By Nilika de Silva

Ironically it was in Colombo where the idea originated to universally celebrate the Vesak festival, that it was also flouted.

Sri Lanka for the very first time made its mark on the international calendar with international recognition being given to the day of Vesak at United Nations headquarters and other UN offices around the world. In fact it was the positioning of the moon over Sri Lanka that decided when the whole world would celebrate this day.

However, the United Nations office in Colombo ignored Vesak, the day set apart for Buddhists all over the world to commemorate the three most significant events associated with Lord Gautama Buddha. The birth, attaining enlightenment, and finally the passing away or 'Parinirvana' which was said to be on the same day in the month of May.

Although it was declared by the United Nations to be a special day, ironically Vesak was not celebrated by the UN office in Colombo.

While the UN headquarters in New York, and countries with United Nations offices across the globe took time off to celebrate the hitherto little known festival of Vesak, interestingly the Colombo based office of the United Nations decided to ignore it.

"Declaring Vesak a universal holiday was a good decision. It is a victory for the Buddhists. But if the UN here did not adhere to this then it is a problem within the UN structure," Secretary of the National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT) Kamal Deshapriya said.

It was at the International Buddhist Conference in 1998, held to mark 50 years of Independence from colonial rule, that this idea originated first and later taken up at the UN General Assembly in 1999.

In New York, home to the UN headquarters Vesak was welcomed in a big way. Speaking at the inaugural celebration at UN headquarters, Minister of Buddha Sasana Lakshman Jayakody said that the inaugural observance of Vesak at the United Nations is the "greatest event of the century as far as Buddhists are concerned. He was the chief guest at this historic occasion held on May 15.

The evening's observances also featured cultural performances by the students of the Sunday Dhamma school of the New York Buddhist Vihara, the New York Korean Buddhist Choir, the Korean Dance Troupe and other parties including Sri Lankan vocalists. Also featured were video presentations from Thailand and Sri Lanka on Buddhism and Buddhist culture in these countries.

Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar recalling his statement to the 54th General Assembly in 1999 in which he sought the support of the membership to give international recognition to the Day of Vesak, said he had also focused on this issue during his numerous bilateral meetings with counterparts held during these sessions.

"Two thousand five hundred and forty years after it was proclaimed, the message of the Buddha has an undiminished vitality," Minister Kadirgamar said. "It is marked by tolerance and freedom. It cuts across national and racial boundaries and appeals to the whole of humankind. It has been for centuries the multi-faceted religious-cultural activity in a great part of the globe."

The International Buddhist Conference held in Colombo from November 5 to 14, put forward 17 recommendations.

The first of these read: "Vesak Full Moon day in the month of May to be declared a holiday in the United Nations."

It went on to state that the Conference urges states with predominantly Buddhist populations to take the necessary steps towards having Vesak Full Moon day in the month of May declared a holiday of the United Nations, and in this connection requests the Government of Sri Lanka to initiate consultations with other interested states to achieve this objective."

Delegations of not only countries with predominantly Buddhist populations but also of several other countries with minimal Buddhist populations and even with no Buddhist populations at all volunteered to co-operate with the Sri Lankan delegation to have the resolution adopted at the 54th General Assembly.

Thanking the countries for supporting this move, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said, "The goodwill shown by member states, over this resolution will no doubt go a long way to minimize misunderstandings and mistrust among them and help create an ambience of mutual respect, honour and trust in which the problems of mankind could be addressed and resolved, as the Buddha would have wished, through calm and objective contemplation without rancour, anger and hatred."

The resolution originally sponsored by Sri Lanka became the common resolution of many member states.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Chile, Cyprus, Greece, Grenada, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan,, Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Seychelles, Slovakia, Spain, Surinam, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States of America became co-sponsors of the draft resolution.

UN Head takes cover

The Sunday Times notes with regret that the Office of the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator has issued a grossly misleading press release with regard to our Page 1 city edition story of May 14 headlined "UN prepares for any trouble."

This undated press release is unsigned as well.

To clarify its authenticity and the contents therein, The Sunday Times contacted the Office of the United Nations Resident Co-ordinator, Peter Witham with a request to speak to Mr. Witham.

Mr. Witham, in fact, had been earlier informed by The Sunday Times that he should expect a telephone call from the newspaper requesting an interview.

The office of the UN Resident Co-ordinator answered as follows;

"Mr. Witham says that we have no further comment to make and we will get back to you 'if you leave your number' ".

The same morning Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar issued a warning to the UN in Colombo not to interfere in Sri Lanka's internal affairs. This was in answer to a question posed to him by The Sunday Times in regard to our story in the last issue. (Please see separate story.)

Moments later, the UN's spokesman in Colombo telephoned The Sunday Times and spoke to the reporter who wrote the story.

He wished to know firstly if he could be of assistance.

He was told by The Sunday Times that the newspaper wanted to speak to the Resident Co-ordinator himself as it was his office that had purportedly issued the unsigned press release.

The spokesman said "with regards to that particular story, Mr. Witham says he has nothing further to add to the statement issued yesterday" (15th May 2000).

Then the UN spokesman wished to know on the instructions of Mr. Witham what questions we would pose to him. "If you (The Sunday Times) have new questions, he wants to know what they are."

The Sunday Times informed him that the questions were for the Resident Co-ordinator to answer at a face-to-face or telephone interview, as he wished.

The UN spokesman said he would get back to the reporter. He never did. We presume, Mr. Witham simply chickened out hiding behind an unsigned and undated press release on a letterhead from his office. Listed below are the questions we wished to ask him;

1. Did- or did not- senior officials of the UN's Colombo Office discuss contingency plans for a racial backlash in Colombo in the event of the fall of Jaffna to LTTE hands last week? (This has not been denied in the press release. In fact, the release has conveniently omitted this reference in our story).

2. Did these discussions revolve around converting the UN compound in Colombo to a refugee camp for "innocent Tamil civilians". (Those were the words used at the discussion - not the words in the circular.)

3. Were you not embarrassed when the story was published because you knew that you had to first get prior Foreign Ministry approval, and you hadn't?

4. If The Sunday Times story is ""grossly misleading" why did you, yourself, question heads of UN agencies in Colombo and ask them who leaked the story to the press.

5. The press release states that the UN spokesman pointed out "inaccuracies" ahead of publication. What "inaccuracies".

He said he was not aware of any discussion- which shows how much he is kept in the dark and he also said he was unaware if foreign staffers had issued a circular. The Sunday Times quoted him on just that and the release studiously does not deny that there was a discussion to this effect (which the spokesman was not aware of).

6. The press release denies a circular "as described in the newspaper" has been issued and is in existence. How would you describe this circular?

7. Half the press release is about UN security plans. The Sunday Times article has nothing to do with UN security plans. Isn't this a red herring to distract from the issue at hand i.e. did not the UN in Colombo discuss converting the UN compound into a refugee centre, in the event of an anti-Tamil backlash in Colombo?

8. What are these references to "cover all eventualities however unlikely" in the press release?

9. Isn't the UN in Colombo attempting to insidiously implement a move by Western powers at the UN General Assembly to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign country if they feel there are human rights violations?

The Light of Vesak

Tight security was no barrier for the hundreds of people who flocked to see Vesak this year. Despite the country being placed on a war footing and requests being made to have a low key Vesak, pandals and lanterns adorned the streets of Colombo. Religious ceremonies and bodhi poojas were also held in many temples all over the country. Special poojas were held in remembrance of the security forces fighting the war in the North. The Kalutara Bodhiya and Vajiraramaya were some of the temples that conducted these poojas. Blood donation campaigns were also held.

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