Killings
by Haitian National Police Ascribed to Imposters by UN, No
Anti-Corruption Role, UN's Pro-Government Focus
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 11 -- The UN says it is investigating reports of
summary executions by the Haitian National Police. Video here,
from
Minute 57:52.
Inner
City Press
for the second time in ten days asked acting UN chief in Haiti Edmund
Mulet about the killing of alleged thieves, this time citing Haitian
religious leader Max Beauvoir's account of a January 16 meeting of
President Rene Preval, the Prime Minister and police chief at which
"we decided we had to deal with them in an emergency way...
capital punishment, automatically, for all bandits."
Mulet
stammered
that "we are aware of some incidents of shooting [by] private
security guards... perhaps Haitian National Police members involved."
But even this, he tried to convert into imposters, who stole the HNP
uniforms.
On
February 1, when
Inner City Press asked, Mulet said that the UN Mission MINUSTAH was
"investigating" such claims. Ten days later, there are no
"conclusions," he said.
Top
UN peacekeeper
Alain Le Roy began the February 11 presentation by praising Mulet for
maintaining such good relations with the Haitian government.
How can
Mulet credibly investigate and speak out against Haitian National
Police killings, which Max Beauvoir said were decided on at a meeting
including Rene Preval and the Prime Minister, if he is also tasked
with "getting along well" with these officials?
The
UN has at least
two conflicting goals: to get along with the government, and to
ensure that at least basic human rights are being respected. Right
now the UN in Haiti appears to be paying only lip service to the
second, human rights goal.
The
UN need to be
(made to be) much more clear about its role in Haiti. The UN has some
hard working international and national civil servants in Haiti, but
only if the UN admits what it cannot or will not meaningfully do will
the need for others to do it become clear. Lack of clarify ill-serves
the Haitian people.
UN's Ban and Mulet with Rene Preval, HNP not shown
Inner
City Press
also asked about another ostensible UN role: to try to minimize
corruption, so that needed donations will be made. Inner City Press
asked about documented meetings with President Preval by a
Florida-based business, AshBritt, which is under fire for how it got
Hurricane Katrina contracts -- with Haley Barbour as a lobbyist --
and how it performed under other contracts.
Of the
meeting in which
AshBritt pitched for major contracts in Haiti, Mulet said "we
have nothing to do with that." Video here,
from Minute 58:49. So much for an anti-corruption monitoring role for
the UN. But if the
UN is not going to do it, who is? Watch this site.
Footnote: Mulet also
said he had no information about Haitian land owners seeking payment,
now or in the future, for land used for housing, temporary and later
permanent. Since aid funds are involved in this re-housing process, and
the question was squarely raised to Mulet's deputy Kim Bolduc on
February 8, it seemed strange that Mulet had no information three days
later. We will continue to pursue this.
* * *
As
Haitians Protest Aid Blockage, Corruption, UN Calls It Political,
Murky Land Deals
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 8 -- A protest of
"hundred of Haitian"
women in Petionville on Sunday was characterized on Monday as
merely
political by the UN's humanitarian coordinator Kim Bolduc.
Inner City
Press asked Ms. Bolduc about the protesters, who accused
Petionville's Deputy Mayor of hoarding aid so it didn't reach those
most in need. Inner City Press asked, does the UN have any response?
Ms.
Bolduc said,
contrary to Reuters, that there was "no disturbance reported
there." Video here,
from Minute 23:08. She went on to say that
the UN "cannot avoid conflicts" between "groups in
power."
She appeared
then to in fact be aware of the protest,
recounting that a "group of political parties... told people
they could ask for more."
Given
how much the
UN speak of the needs of the poor, while asking for money, it would
seem that the UN should listen, and not dismiss, protests by the poor
saying, we are not getting enough food.
But the UN,
as a club of
governments, is most committed to always working through governments.
So when a government, even a local one like in Petionville, is
protested, some in the UN automatically side with the government. So
much for the Millennium Development goals....
UN's Bolduc appearing by video to UN in NYC,
protests not shown
Inner
City Press
also asked Ms. Bolduc about reports that private land owners are
getting side commitments for money in exchange for land to shelter
and house the displaced, that the UN is involved in. Ms. Bolduc had
said no money was changing hands, then told Inner City Press that of
course rent would be asked for. Finally, she said that landlords were
being "negotiated" with to give or lend for free their
land. What's to negotiate, then? We'll have more on this.
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