A suspected war criminal who allegedly played a key role in the slaughter of 40,000 civilians in Sri Lanka has landed a cushy job at the United Nations -- with full diplomatic immunity.

Human-rights groups are outraged that Shavendra Silva, 46, a top ex-military commander, was named Sri Lanka's deputy permanent UN representative in August, after which he moved to New York.

His arrival came a year after his troops defied international pleas and shelled a no-fire zone packed with women, children and elderly refugees, according to observers.

Silva also stands accused of mowing down a group of separatist political leaders who agreed to surrender and were waving white flags when they were shot.

DIPLOMANIAC: Ex-Sri Lanka commander Shavendra Silva is suspected of war atrocities, but a current UN gig gives him immunity.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/war_criminal_gets_un_job_6ujUFMXYR2NhlrrxF3euZJ#ixzz15uSQkMQZ

"It's a slap in the face," said an investigator familiar with Silva, who last year oversaw the final months of a brutal 26-year civil war against Tamil separatists on the island nation off India's southeastern tip.

The war started in 1983 after the Tamils, a Hindu ethnic minority, were denied power by the ruling Sinhalese, Buddhists, and formed a violent resistance group, the Tamil Tigers.

"Thousands were killed or starved. There were massive human-rights violations and he's the No. 1 suspect," said the investigator, a human-rights group expert who asked not to be identified.

"And they send this guy here? There's no one other than him in the mission who was involved in this."

Silva claims 11,000 friends on Facebook. The barrel-chested former major general also maintains his own site, shavendrasilva.com, filled with photos of himself in combat garb and a list of his battlefield successes.

He works from an office at the Sri Lankan mission on Third Avenue.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/war_criminal_gets_un_job_6ujUFMXYR2NhlrrxF3euZJ#ixzz15uRr0heD

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/war_criminal_gets_un_job_6ujUFMXYR2NhlrrxF3euZJ?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=

Edited November 21, 201015 yr by Nellaiyan

to: <sg@un.org>

cc: <ngochr@ohchr.org>, <adamsb@hrw.org>, "yolanda. foster" <Yolanda.Foster@amnesty.org>, brussels@crisisgroup.org, secretary@state.gov, walter.kaelin@oefre.unibe.ch, "Sweeney, Peter J" <SweeneyPJ@state.gov>

Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka's deputy permanent UN representative - allegedly a war criminal

Dear Secretary General,

It is widely accepted that Sri Lanka has violated many international laws, including Geneva conventions, in the months leading into May 19, 2009. It was reaffirmed by UN reports where it paces at least 7000 innocent people were killed. Not even a single person was brought to face justice to this date.

Now we learn that Shavendra Silva, 46, a top ex-military commander, was named Sri Lanka's deputy permanent UN representative in August, after which he moved to New York. His arrival came a year after his troops defied international pleas and shelled a no-fire zone packed with women, children and elderly refugees, according to observers. Silva also stands accused of mowing down a group of separatist political leaders who agreed to surrender and were waving white flags when they were shot.

This is just another clear demonstration in which Sri Lanka has neither interest in reconciliation nor interest in peace with minority Tamils. And Tamils should be given the right to self determination under UN mandate so they can avoid continued discrimination and prosecution.

Sincerely,

ஐ. நாவுக்கே வந்த போர்க்குற்றவாளியை ஐ. நா. விசாரிக்குமா?

At UN, As War Criminal Posted as Sri Lanka Deputy, Will Panel Interview Him?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 21 -- Sri Lanka's placement as its Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN of general Shavendra Silva, responsible for many of the war crimes in 2009 which made UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon belatedly name a Panel of Experts, has now been noted by a New York tabloid.

Three months ago for an August 25 report, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky about the placement:

Inner City Press: both the Permanent Representative and the Deputy Permanent Representative slots of Sri Lanka are being changed. The DPR spot is empty and one, the person being sent, according to the Sri Lankan press, was a commander that was in charge of the battalion that shot surrendering troops that came out with a white flag as somehow negotiated or spoken to by Mr. Nambiar.

What I want to know is, if these reports in Sri Lanka are true, and if such individuals that were actively involved in the final stage of the conflict in Sri Lanka, which is now being investigated by Sri Lanka and advised in, does the Secretary-General have to accept…when he says he accepts credentials, is this an automatic rubber stamp? Can a country send, could Sudan send Ahmed Haroun and that would be accepted? What’s the Secretary-General’s discretion in holding those photo-ops and credentials? Does he have the freedom like a country does to reject someone who is submitted?

Spokesperson Nesirky: On the general point about the procedure, I would need to find out. I do not know. But on the specific, I’m not going to enter into hypotheticals.

It is no longer hypothetical, and has not been for some time. Ban Ki-moon did nothing, and now many say that his Panel of Experts is doing nothing. We do however note that their soliciation of submission has now, after delay and questions, been put online, here.

The Panel says it will accept and presumably review submission until December 15. Disturbingly, the Panel has not even asked to go to Sri Lanka, or at least has not complained about any denial of request. (Early on, the Rajapaksa government said they would deny any such request -- at best, Ban's Panel gave in to that; at worse, they didn't even want to try to go.)

Now they have a war criminal, a man with first hand knowledge, coming into the UN to represent Sri Lanka. Will they even interview him? Watch this site.

Footnote: while the tabloid says Silva is the only person in the Sri Lanka mission with such knowledge, that is not the case, not least with regard to the white flag murders. There are two individuals with first hand knowledge who can often be found together inside the UN building....

http://www.innercitypress.com/banex4sri112110.html