By Noor Nizam, Sri Lanka Peace Activist and Freelance Journalist, Canada, Sept.7th.,2009.

The news report by the Press Trust of India quoting APF ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Colombo, Sept. 7^th., of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stand in not denting to the pressure of UNICEF officials in Colombo today on the decision already made to expel Mr. James ElderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Communication Chief for UNICEF in Colombo

(according to the UNICEF website and not the spokesperson)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is a communication metaphor to the International community that Sri Lanka will stand firm on all its decisions made regarding the defence of its integrity and sovereignty.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The message is also to reiterate to the patriots of Sri Lankan, whether they live in Sri Lanka or are domiciled aboard that the present government of HE. Mahinda Rajapaksa is not a political lion that can me tamed my the West, what may come in defending their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-MawrattaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Sri Lanka Maathaa.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The local politician from down south of Sri Lanka and a maestro in the game of Human Rights advocacy who is a shining star in the International political area knows the expertise well. Fit to be the head of the Non-Aligned nations group, in the present international scenario, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has not only guided his Secretary of Foreign Affairs on how to expel the undesired so-called experts guilty of been covertly supporting a campaign to dismantle the democratic process in Sri Lanka and to discredit a democratically elected government. This is a government elected by the people which has brought much peace and harmony to itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 21 million inhabitants of Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and other minorities, since May the 17^th., this year who now call them Sri Lankans.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But Sarah Crowe, UNICEF’s chief of communication for South Asia, speaking from Katmandu and then India, said that Sri Lanka “had made blatant and unacceptable accusations” and that a meeting today between UNICEF and government officials in Colombo had failed to resolve the dispute. The stand was ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” Mr. James Elder has to go ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ExpelledƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dr. Palitha Kohona Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking from Colombo said:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Mr Elder had made a series of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-unfounded statementsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ that echoed TamilNet, a Tamil news website said to be supportive of the LTTE.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-How can a UN official do this? A UN official should have an absolute commitment to impartiality,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ said Mr Kohona. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-He was expressing his views in a very unprofessional manner.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To the BBC News, this is what Dr. Palitha Kohona had to say:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Mr Elder had issued statements “which were not exactly based on facts, which were not researched, which were essentially reflective of the LTTE [Tamil Tigers’] perspective”. “He was doing propaganda, in our view, in support of the LTTE.”

Ms. Sarah Crowe may have been ignorant of more of the violations of international UN codes and codes applied to news publication by so-called ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”spokespersonsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. Ms. Sarah Crowe has said from India and then Kathmandu,

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-that Sri Lanka “had made blatant and unacceptable accusations” and that a meeting today between UNICEF and government officials in Colombo had failed to resolve the disputeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

Ms. Crowe needs to read the following documents to enlighten herself of the grave violation committed by her Communication Chief in Colombo.

a) D 116 Staff Rules and Regulations of the United Nations.

b) Staff Regulations of the United Nations established by General Assembly Resolution

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  590 (VI) of 2 February 1952 As amended by Resolution 47/226 of 8 April 1993.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The answer to the UNICEF officials who met with the Sri Lankan officials has been a clear message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government. Mr. James Elder, the Communication Chief of UNICEF in Colombo has to leave. Little does Ms. Sarah Crowe realize that she too has violated the laws of international covenants which qualify Sri Lanka to make her ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Persona-non-grataƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ How dare Ms. Sarah Crowe make threatening statements to the international media that UNICEF will take the case to UN headquarters in New York if the Sri Lankan government did not change its mind.

“If it does come to this, and the government doesn’t appear to be rescinding the decision, we would have to take it to a higher level,” Crowe has said. “We would find it most regrettable if they were not going to rescind the decision,” she added. (http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=86033).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka government including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should also punish Ms. Sarah Crowe for such highhanded International Civil Service attitudes and deem the UNICEF’s chief of communication for South Asia, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Persona-non-grataƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ with immediate effect. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Sri Lankan government need praise for their actions and steadfastness both locally and internationally.