UN to Get Peacekeeping Advice from Alleged War Criminal, Says Ban Powerless

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon cannot or will not do or say anything to stop alleged war criminal Shavendra Silva from serving on Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operation, Ban spokesperson Martin Nesirky answered Inner City Press on January 30.

  Acts of Shavendra Silva's battalion in 2009 are described in the UN's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka -- for example in paragraphs 73, 90 and 171, shelling hospitals and killing those seeking to surrender -- and lawsuits have been filed against Silva for war crimes. In September 2011, Inner City Press asked Silva about them, click here for that story.

  Isn't Ban at least concerned about how it makes his UN look, making Sri Lanka's Silva an adviser on peacekeeping, including in light of the UN's failure to report any discipline of Sri Lankan "peacekeepers" repatriated from Haiti after being charged with sex with underage girls?

  At Monday's UN noon briefing, Nesirky told Inner City Press to ask the Asia group about Silva's nomination to the Advisory Group, and to ask Silva's Sri Lankan mission if the more than 100 repatriated soldiers were ever disciplined. 

  Far from a UN of accountability, this seems to some to be nothing but passing the buck. We have asked others and aim to have more on this.

Ban greets Silva - did Asia Group make Ban do it? (c) MRLee

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