Inner
City Press: On
Bangladesh, it
seems like the
violence is
escalating but
my question to
you is about a
statement by
current Prime
Minister
Sheikh Hasina
where she says
a publication,
The Daily
Star, legal
action should
be taken for
publishing a
photograph of
a poster
campaign of
protesters in
the
street.
I’m wondering
first if you
have any
response to
that and also
if you have
anything new.
I know there
was a request
to go.
Where do
things stand
as people seem
to be getting
disappeared et
cetera?
Spokesman Dujarric:
I don’t have
an update for
you on that
except
obviously to
say that we
support
freedom of
expression and
the right for
newspapers to
exist, which
is a big part
of democracy
in any
country.
But what about
using
"peacekeepers"
who have been
involved in
the violence?
On February
23, Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric:
Inner
City Press:
I’d asked you
Friday, it
involves the
use by UN
peacekeeping
of
peacekeepers
from
Bangladesh,
not generally,
but very
specifically.
Basically a
list has
emerged
of
particular
commanders who
participated
in what’s
called the
massacre in
2013 that led
to Mr. Taranco
going over
there and what
I guess I’m
still striving
to understand
is since these
names are
public and
some are part
of a filing
addressed to
the ICC, which
I don’t know
if the ICC has
taken or not,
but very
specific
things, what
review is done
by the UN of
known
documented
firing at
civilians and
then being
sent to
peacekeeping
missions,
including
MONUSCO?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think there
is a, there is
a review
process that
these units go
through, with
both DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations]
and the host
country.
And that’s a
process.
I don’t have
any, go ahead.
Inner City
Press: given
the
Secretariat’s
stated
interest in
the rising
political
violence in
Bangladesh,
can you get
some statement
from DPKO what
review has
ever been done
on the
contingent
sent to the
country?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think the
reviews are
part of the
usual
procedure.
But if I have
anything else,
I will give
that to you.
Five hours
later, as
before,
nothing.
We noted that
we'd have more
on Herve
Ladsous'
failure to vet
Bangladesh's
"peacekeepers,"
now as his
DPKO won't
answer this
basic
question.
Ladsous
refuses Press
questions: video here and here,
Vine
here.
Now Inner City
Press raises
these
questions. Is
Colonel Imran
Ibne A. Rouf
serving UN
Peacekeeping?
A filing
addressed to
the
International
Criminal Court
says he
"abducted
seven innocent
civilians from
a place near
Dhaka Central
Jail;" they
were all
killed.
What about
Colonel Amin,
Director of
National
Security
Intelligence,
now reportedly
serving in
Ladsous'
MINUSCA
mission in the
Central
African
Republic,
along with Lt
Col Mazid, who
was commanding
officer of
Rapid Action
Battalion 10?
In Ladsous and
Martin
Kobler's
MONUSCO
mission in the
DR Congo,
where a Cote
d'Ivoire
diplomat was
allowed to
sell UN Police
positions
(clear here
for that Inner
City Press
exclusive),
please explain
the presence
of Lt Col
Shiraj , Lt
Col Mofazzal
and Lt Col
Khandakar
Mahmud, all
three of whom
were in the
Bangladesh
Border Guards?
In Ladsous'
mission in
Mali, accused
like the mission
in Haiti of
shooting at
unarmed
demonstrators,
please explain
the presence
of Lt Col
Munir, Lt Col
Faruq, Lt Col
Shamsul Kabir
and Lt
Col Mustafiz,
all of whom
were in the
Bangladesh
Border Guards,
and another
Maj Mustafiz,
from the
Directorate-General
of Forces
Intelligence?
As
to Bangladesh
this comes
after it
emerged that
Ban Ki-moon
sent January
30 letter(s)
to the
country, even
though the
government
there says
they only got
the letter
much later.
What explains
the delay?
When
on February 5
Inner City
Press asked
the UN,
which uses
Bangladesh
soldiers as
peacekeepers,
this ensued:
Inner
City Press: In
Bangladesh,
the… things
seem to be
getting
worse.
Former Prime
Minister has
been charged
with arson
and… which she
says she
doesn't
do. The
power's been
turned off to
the opposition
party and
basically the
authorities
are using
violence on
protestors.
So, I'm
wondering,
what's the
response of
the
Secretary-General?
Is there any
[Department of
Political
Affairs] or
other UN
involvement in
trying to
mediate
it? And
with senior
military
officials
making
statements
about what
they'll do to
civilians,
what's the
impact on
Bangladesh as
a peacekeeping
contributing
country?
Deputy
Spokesman
Farhan
Haq:
Well, the
political
process is
separate and
apart from the
issue of
peacekeepers
in UN
missions, who
are under the
control
ultimately of
the
mission.
Regarding the
situation in
Bangladesh,
we've made our
concerns
known.
As you know,
officials,
including the
senior
officials from
our Department
for Political
Affairs, have
repeatedly
visited
Bangladesh,
trying to meet
with the
leaders there
and make sure
that the
crisis can be
resolved
peacefully.
As you know,
we continue to
have our
concerns that
that hasn't
happened and
that there has
been
violence.
We have
continually
encouraged and
continue to
encourage the
authorities to
allow for
peaceful
protest and
for the right
to peaceful
assembly.
And beyond
that, we'll
continue to be
in touch with
the leaders of
the two main
parties,
trying to make
sure that they
can resolve
their
differences.
So what if
anything is
the UN doing?
Watch this
site.
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