In Sri Lanka, UNDP Center Was Already Being Downsized, Ban's Act Overplayed

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 -- The seemingly decisiveresponse by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Sri Lanka government supported detention of UN staff turns out, a day later, to have largely been already planned, then cynically over-promoted. The UN's headline shouted, “Secretary General Closes Regional Center in Colombo Following Disturbances in Sri Lanka.”

But on July 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm that this action on the UNDP Regional Center has already been planned. Haq, reading from prepared notes, admitted that the “downsizing” of the UNDP Regional Center had already been “discussed with the foreign minister.” Video here, from Minute 14:01.

Haq insisted that the full closure was decided by Ban Ki-moon himself in direct response to the inability of UN staff to do work. But the UNDP Regional Center was not the building surrounded by Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa and his entourage.

Protest at main UN building, separate UNDP Regional Center not shown

Inner City Press pointed out that Ban's spokespeople routinely turn back questions about anything involving the UN Development Program, whether irregularities in its programs in North Korea or its Administrator Helen Clark being listed as a sitting official of a non-UN system group by saying, “Ask UNDP.”

So how could Ban close any UNDP facility in the world by his own decision?

Haq said the Secretary General had already had discussions with UNDP on this. The question is, when? Watch this site.