UN
Uses
Peacekeepers
Who “Occupy” Chittagong Hill
Tracts, Indigenous Say
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May
24, updated -- At the UN the left hand is often out of touch with
whom the UN's right hand is hurting. Inner City Press was told
Tuesday that the military in Bangladesh is seizing indigenous land in
the Chittagong Hill Tracks to train its soldiers who are deployed on
UN peacekeeping missions.
Aditya
Dewan
of
the International Jumma Association told Inner City Press that the
town in which he was born in the CHT is still “under military
occupation,” and that the issue has repeatedly been raised to the
UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which uses Bangladeshi
peacekeepers.
So
in the same
briefing room, Inner City Press asked
UN
spokesman Martin Nesirky to
get a response:
Inner
City
Press:
Earlier today in this room, there was a press conference
about the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, and it was said that
the Bangladesh military, it has seized land from indigenous people to
do training for peacekeepers that are deployed with DPKO. This was
said by a former UN official, now a professor, and backed up by this
Chittagong Hill Tracts guy. So I am just wondering, they both also
said that these issues had been raised to DPKO in the past, but I am
aware that Bangladesh is one of the major troop-contributing
countries, so I just wonder, and you may not have it now, but is
there a way to get some response from DPKO to what was said in this
room about the use of the Bangladeshi military, the use of the lands
there and what’s sort of being done about it?
Spokesperson:
I
am sure my colleagues in DPKO are watching right now.
But
five
hours
later, there was no response at all. Watch this site.
Update
of
7:47 pm -- after publication of the story above, the UN sent a
response:
From:
UN
Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, May 24, 2011
at 6:48 PM
Subject: Response to your question regarding
Bangladesh
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
Further
to
your question at the noon briefing, DPKO advises that it is not
aware of any land seized for the training of UN peacekeepers by the
Bangladeshi army. There may be training facilities for the
Bangladeshi army but the only peacekeeping training centre in
Bangladesh is in the capital Dhaka, which is not in the Chittagong
area.
But
see the
allegations made, including of (other) issues raised to DPKO, online
here.
* * *
On
Walikale
Rapes
in
DRC, Only Mayele in Jail, MONUSCO Shrink After Vote?
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May
18
-- Despite vows of accountability for the rapes in Walikale in
the Democratic
Republic
of
Congo last year, Inner City
Press was told on Wednesday on the margins of the Security Council's
meeting on the DRC that the only person still in jail for the rapes
is Lt-Col Mayele of the Mai Mai Cheka.
“Witnesses are
being intimidated and the judge is wavering,” a well placed source
told Inner City Press. Mayele, in Goma, has information about other
perpetrators, but nothing has been done.
The other
perpetrators,
including the elusive Serafim, are said to be identified by name in
the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council report on the Walikale rapes.
On
the more
positive side, sources told Inner City Press, Margot Wallstrom and
her UN office on Sexual Violence and Conflict briefed the Security
Council's committee on DRC Sanctions.
Outside
the
Security
Council's
debate, top UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy told the
Press that there is no move to reduce UN presence in the Congo “until
the election.” After that it is possible.
Roger Meece previously at stakeout, action on
Walikale not shown
France,
the
Security
Council
President for May, organized a day long session on
the DRC held at the International Peace Institute but made “on
background” under the Chatham House rules imposed by IPI.
At the
session, the rapes in Walikale and elsewhere in North Kivu were
ridiculed and dismissed by an official who, under IPI's rules, is
given anonymity. Watch this site.
Footnotes: UN envoy Roger Meece
didn't speak to the press, instead leaving the Security Council session
with the DRC delegation. Meanwhile Chad's Permanent Representative to
the UN told Inner City Press "it looks like they don't want to leave."
, 
