UN staff not Immune but Genocide suspects are

The United Nations’ continued silence on the abuses being committed by the Sri Lankan state was once again demonstrated with its handling of UN staff arrested by the Sri Lankan military.

Instead of demanding the Sri Lankan state to release it staff who have immunity, according to media reports, the UN has "hired a lawyer who has visited" the UN staff, who are "still detained in Colombo."

This is in complete contrast to its action in Kosovo. The UN Mission in Kosovo actively invoked immunity on June 26 in favour of a person charged with genocide. When Agim Ceku was arrested in Bulgaria, based on an Interpol warrant, it is reported that a UN documentary showing was made in order to get Ceku released.

In Sri Lanka, however, UN spokespersons and officials gave conflicting claims over the immunity status of the arrested staff.  Whilst the Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq in New York acknowledging the immunity staus of the two local staff members who were grabbed up by the government using unmarked vehicles, John Holmes, the UN humanitarian chief said that immunity only applied to international staff.

The head of the UN Refugee Agency in Sri Lanka Amin Awad went one step further than Holmes and issued a statement saying that the Sri Lankan government is free to detain UN staff as long as procedures are followed.

The UN Staff Union has disagreed with Holmes and countered that national staff have immunity within the scope of their work. It also criticized Awad's statement.

Accusing the UN of running scared of Sri Lanka, the Inner City Press reporter, Matthew Russel Lee, questioned rationale behind the immunity for those charged with war crimes and genocide, but non defense of immunity for UN staff in Sri Lanka.