ICP
Asks IOM Swing
of Australia's
Manus &
Cambodia,
Rohingya &
FDLR
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 18 --
When
International
Organization
for Migration
director
William Lacy
Swing took
questions at
the UN on
International
Migrants Day,
December 18,
Inner City
Press asked
him about
IOM's
work for
Australia, in
Manus Island,
Nauru and
prospectively
in
Cambodia --
and also with
Bangladesh
about or on
the Rohingya.
Swing
insisted that
IOM is not
involved in
involuntary
repatriations,
but
that once the
deed is done,
they will
assist. Inner
City Press
asked,
doesn't they
enable and
embolden
countries to
violate
international
refugee and
humanitarian
law?
Innner
City Press
pointed out
that in Manus,
there were
riots in
February
that killed at
least one
asylum seeker
from Iran,
Reza Barati ;
the
private
military
contractor G4S
was involved
in the
violence in
Manus.
Now
Australia
wants to use
Cambodia, and
IOM is scoping
it out. Swing
told Inner
City Press
that no final
decision has
been made.
We'll
continue to
follow this.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Swing, who
previously
headed the UN
peacekeeping
mission in the
DR Congo when
it was called
MONUC, to
comment on the
continued
existence of
the Hutu FDLR
militia, with
deadlines for
“neutralization”
repeatedly put
back, now to
January 2.
Swing
declined to
comment on the
Congo.
Previously,
Inner City
Press asked
him about UN
Peacekeepers
there using
old
ammunition, to
the
detriment (to
be diplomatic)
of the
Congolese.
Things have
gotten
worse with the
UN in the
Congo, under
peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous, video
compilation
here.
But
the UN podium
is not one
from which
Ladsous will
be held to
account.
In fact,
yesterday Ban
Ki-moon was
clearly given
questions in
advance
for his “press
conference.”
Inner City
Press, just
before Swing's
appearance,
asked
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it - that's
another story,
watch this
site.
, 
