Takasu, Tamils' adversary in UN Security Council?
[TamilNet, Friday, 28 December 2012, 00:15 GMT]
Yukio Takasu, the 2009 President of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on
the critical month of February, was one of the key UN officials who
allegedly prevented Sri Lanka from being dragged into the UNSC for the
unfolding mass scale killings in Mu'l'livaaykkaal, public statements
made by UN officials during media stakes reveal. While some UN Security
Council (UNSC) permanent members may have agreed with Takasu'a views, in
a media stake out, Takasu lays out his "own" critical view of the
"terrorist LTTE," and the primacy of political and security need to
"defeat" the Tigers over imminent large scale civilian casualties.
Political observers believe that Japanese cultural views on refugees,
asylum seekers may provide clues to Takasu's approach and conduct in the
UNSC that led to the disastrous outcome for the Tamil refugees trapped
in Sri Lanka's civil war.
Yukio Takasu was the President of the UNSC during February 2009 and
later in 2010. He was also Japan's Ambassador to the United Nations.
Yukio Takasu, President UN Security Council Feb, 2009
In the three media briefings on
9th, 20th and 27th February at the UN, Takasu, lays out the strategy
adopted at the UNSC. Political observers commenting on the video pointed
to the unmistakable hand of Takasu in adopting the chillingly cruel UN
strategy to allow, in the name of security and politics, Colombo a free
hand in the impending brutal massacre of nearly 80,000 civilians [
Petrie Report:
"an estimated 360,000 or more civilians were crowded into an ever
smaller part of ‘the Wanni’ area of Northern Sri Lanka where many died
as a result of sustained artillery shelling, illness and starvation.
Almost 280,000 survivors were forcibly interned in military-run camps
outside."]
In
articulating first the UN's motivations, and then responding to probing
questions from a few journalists, Takasu is seen drawing his decades of
experience in being a UN bureaucrat, as he switches between his three
roles, the President of the UNSC, the Ambassador and as a Japanese
private citizen, to deliver his message: that LTTE is the problem, and
needs to be taken out. As a private citizen he confesses that no one
wants to see “damage” to civilian people, but it is unfortunate [that we
should allow that to happen in this instance]."
The videos and
the associated news coverage by Innercity Press's Matthew Lee during the
civilian carnage at Mu'l'livaaykkaal, establishes, with reasonable
certainty, Takasu's involvement in continuing to refuse to taking up
the matter at the Security Council.
Yasushi Akashi, Former Japanese Envoy to the Tokyo Co-Chairs
Tamil activists also accuse another
Japanese, Yasushi Akashi, the former Special Envoy of the Tokyo
Co-chair to the Peace Process, for allegedly supporting US South Asia's
Secretary Blake, in architecting the defeat of Tigers. The co-chairs
assembled a coalition of countries to first proscribe, then to arrest
activists in the US, Australia, Canada, and in several European cities
in a well-coordinated action to blunt the support from the Tamil
diaspora by inculcating fear. Political observers say the Blake-led
action, supported by co-chairs provided a internationally muted, clear
political space for Colombo to carry out the massacre.
On
Akashi's visit in August 2012, three years after the Mu'l'livaaykkaal
massacre, a Jaffna social activist commented: “Architects of the
genocidal war cannot be mere listeners. They are answerable to the
affected people and to the world. There is no foreign establishment
involved in the island that doesn't really know what is happening.
Therefore, the boldness with which the grass-root aspirations of the
nation of Eezham Tamils has to be politically translated in a befitting
way should never be compromised in the island and in the diaspora."
Observers
also point out that specific to Japan-Sri Lanka relationship, the role
of common bond through religion [Buddhism] and sympathetic overtures
offered by Sri Lanka towards Japan following the WWII defeat, reinforce
the skewed position of Japan in speaking in favor of Sinhala-centric
political goals in Sri Lanka.
Research indicates that the
Japanese society abhors refugees and asylum seekers to maintain a
homogeneous population, and activists argue that this cultural instinct
may have played a role in the Japanese officials' mindset to allow
humanitarian issues take a secondary role, and a factor behind the
perceived insensitivity of the Japanese officials to the plight of Tamil
civilians as hundreds of thousands were made refugees in their own
homeland by deliberation action of the State. Takasu charaterizes the
"impending crime-of-the-century" as "damage" to the "civilian people."
Japan
also remained the biggest donor nation to Sri Lanka for many decades as
the state sponsored discrimination of Tamils and pogroms against Tamils
plagued the Island- another Japanese, Colombo affiliation that may have
likely played in the Takasu-Akashi involvement in the war which led to
disastrous consequences to the Tamil civilians, political observes point
out.
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Takasu's UN briefings, news reports on Sri Lanka, IDPs and War
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Date of Briefings, News Reports
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Video, News Report Link
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[Start Time] Key Points made
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February-09-2009
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1. UN-Takasu Feb 09 2009 Video
2. Innercity Press Report
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The 2009 President of the UN Security Council, and the Japanese
Ambassador to the UN, Takasu, conducts the mediation to take up Sri
Lanka for discussions in the UNSC: (First minute of the video only)
- Mexico requested discussions. Takasu says he is engaged in consultations.
- When pressed for details, says different members have different
views of the conflict. Some concerned about the humanitarian aspect,
some feel the war is an internal matter. Takasu says there is no UNSC
agenda yet on the matter.
- British Ambassador remarked, "[t]he Tamil Tigers are a proscribed
organization and the government of Sri Lanka has long been blighted by
the activities of the Tamil Tigers. We want these to be brought to an
end."
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Feb-20-2009
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UN-Takasu Feb- 20-2009 Video
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[12:20]Yukio Takasu, reveals behind-the scene thinking of member countries of UN Security Council on Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka situation is not "just" a humanitarian issue, but involves politics and security
- LTTE is a terrorist organization that has broken several CeaseFire agreements
- LTTE is well organized, and uses CeaseFires to advance its military strategy
- LTTE uses civilians as "human shields"
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Feb-27-2009
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1. UN-Takasu Feb 27 2009 Video
2. Innercity Press Report
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Important video from Takasu (Starting @00:00:35), points out the
"Convergence of Views" indicating that UN will not impede in GoSL's
military action:
- Takasu says the Sri Lanka conflict will not be a Council agenda
item going forward. (Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, even before the
meeting began, called the briefing by UN humanitarian chief John Holmes
a "one-time" event.)
- Takasu lays the blame for the catastrophe mainly on the LTTE and
defends the Government while expressing serious concern on the
humanitarian situation.
- Brings up terrorist LTTE exploting the IDPs for military
advantage. Members have pointed out the terrorist list from US, EU.
Escaping IDPs being shot by the LTTE, recruitment of child soldiers.
THis is an important message from the Security Council.
- GoSL is taking precautions, and UN hopes GoSL exercises maximum restraint
- Convergence of views expect LTTE to lay down arms and participate
in discussions in a political process towards "devolution" or
"self-rule"..."whatever you call it"
- Says, action of the UNSC on Sudan is consistent with the UNSC refusing to take up Sri Lanka for discussions.
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April-22-2009
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1. ICP: Sri lanka discussions in UN Basement
2. ICP: Takasu praises his meeting innovations |
- Security Council deliberation carried out off the record, came to
be known as "basement briefings, as in the Innercity press report: "As
the UN's envoy to Sri Lanka Vijay Nambiar gave a begrudging basement
briefing to the UN Security Council, France flexed up its humanitarian
muscles while China offered unequivocal support to the government's
military crackdown in the north."
- Takasu thinks this was an innovation: Reflecting on the changes
Takasu architected to the procedures and "working methods" of the
Security Council, Takasu says, "transparency to non Council members is
the goal, and noted that the informal meetings on Sri Lanka, for
example, were an innovation."
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Japan's history on hostility to asylum seekers/immigrants
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1. UNHCR article on Japan's Immigration Policy
2. Japan's policy of exclusion I
3. Japan's policy of exclusion II
4. Waseda Research: Defying Convention
5. TamilNet: Akashi comes to ‘listen’ to people in Jaffna |
Yukio Takasu and Yasushi Akashi, both UN diplomats, horned their
diplomatic skills growing up in an environment that was hostile to
refugees and immigrants. Popular images of refugees in Japan are
dominated by media portrayals of precarious refugee camps in Africa,
leading to misplaced biases that a refugee is, “poor, dirty and having a
weak existence without the right of protection under international
laws”:
- Japan joined the UN in 1956, it did not become party to the Refugee convention until 1981.
- Japan did accept White Russian refugees after WWI and Jewish
refugees during WWII. However, those accepted tended to be the wealthy
or intellectual elite.
- Japan’s restrictive immigration policy, reveals the cruel
treatment Kurdish and Afghani asylum seekers received at the hands of
the Ministry of Justice as they applied for refugee status.
- Japan which saw itself as ethnically, culturally and
linguistically homogeneous the prospect of a mass immigration of
refugees was alarming to the populace and the negative reaction of the
Japanese Government reflected that concern.
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Source: UN video archives, Wikileaks, ICP Reports
Chronology:
Related Articles:18.11.12
UN culpable under "complicity clause," says Professor Boyle 24.09.12
UN complicit in Mu'l'livaaykaal killings, say UN humanitaria.. 08.10.11
Japan's defiance to adhere to UN Convention, leaves Tamil Re.. 10.05.09
2,000 civilians feared slaughtered in a single night
External Links:
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka at UN, Mere "Remarks to the Press," UK Says IMF Loan Not Relevant |
| JF: | | Open the Door-- Japan ’s Policy of Exclusion of Refugees (Part 1) |
| ICP: | | To Visit Sri Lanka, Ban Ki-moon Called “Too Busy” by UN Sources, Despite Japanese Urging and Invitation |
| AUGov: | | The Problem with the 1951 Refugee Convention |
| ICP: | | Amid Death in Sri Lanka, UN Wedding in New York, Ban's Visit Delay Questioned |
| ICP: | | UN's and Ban's Backing-Down to Sri Lanka Questioned by NGOs, IMF Delay Praised |
| Inner City Press: | | At UN, Sri Lanka Accused of Shelling Civilians, "Friendly Censure," LTTE Condemned |
| ICP: | | At Sri Lanka Dialogue of UN Council, Photos on Wall, Press in the Hall |
| ICP: | | Sri Lanka Set for Security Council Dialogue in UN Basement, Beslan Analogy |
| ICP: | | In Sri Lanka 13,130 Missing IDPs Reported But Downplayed By UN |
| ICP: | | Sri Lanka Damage Satellite Photos Withheld by UNITAR |
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka, UN Speak of Siege, Calls Cease-Fire Unrealistic, Only Private Diplomacy |
| Waseda: | | Defying Convention: Japan, National Identity and the Illegalisation of Asylum |
| ICP: | | In UN Council, Japan Works on Sri Lanka Issue |
| IPC: | | UN Still Withholds Casualty Numbers, Funds Detention Camps |
| Inner City Press: | | UN Meeting Called One-Off, UK Makes No Proposals, Holmes Differs from Ban |
| ICP: | | Mexico Invokes Responsibility to Protect, Rebukes Colombo's "Inaccuracies" |
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka, France Pitches Hospital Not IMF or Genocide |
| ICP: | | In N. Sri Lanka, 2,683 Civilian Killings This Year, UN Leaked Documents Show |
| ICP: | | UN's Ban Declines To Call for Cease-Fire, Double Standard Unexplained |
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka, UN's Holmes Tells Council to Speak with One Voice, Envoy Request |
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka in UN Basement, Rice of US Speaks, Libya Offers Money, and China Support |
| ICP: | | On Sri Lanka, UN Official Describes "Nightmare Scenario," Treaty Official "Knows Better" |
| ICP: | | US' Rice Joins Call for UN Council Briefing |
| JF: | | Open the Door-- Japan ’s Policy of Exclusion of Refugees (Part 1) |
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