Nambiar reluctant to brief UN Security Council on Sri Lanka humanitarian situation

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 11:08 GMT]
Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff, Vijay Nambiar, who was sent to Sri Lanka as the United Nations envoy to report on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the beaches of Mullaiththeevu has expressed reluctance to have "even a closed door briefing" on the crisis, Inner City Press reported Tuesday. Nambiar's refusal to brief is likely have been influenced by Indian officials during Nambiar's stop-over in India after his three day visit to Sri Lanka, political sources in Colombo said.

Earlier Saturday, LTTE political head, B. Nadesan said that he had already expressed his willingness during recent deliberations to receive the UN Chief of Staff in Vanni, but the GoSL sabotaged Nambiar's visit to Vanni.

ICP further reported all 15 members of the UN Security Council, including China and Russia had agreed for an "informal interactive dialogue" with Nambiar.

Nambiar has argued that as a "mediator," what he discussed with Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers was "confidential," even from the Security Council, ICP reported.

"Council and other UN sources expressed amazement that in this Sri Lanka case a UN Under Secretary General would attempt to rebuff a request to brief the Council, on one of his few pieces of public work during Ban Ki-moon's administration. Perhaps the Security Council needs to serve Nambiar a subpoena," ICP report further said.

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ICP:

UN's Nambiar Resists Briefing the Council on His "Confidential" Trip