In
Haiti, UN Force Commander Silent on Killings, Clinton Skips Press,
Contracts
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 18 -- In Haiti, the UN's Force Commander Major
General Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto, has been aware of "incidents"
in which the
Haitian National Police have killed civilians. Inner
City Press asked him about it on Thursday. Video here,
from Minute
13:56.
He
said, "those were crucial and critical moments, the HNP needed
to use that kind of force." Video here,
from Minute 15:56.
It
is reported that President Rene Preval, his prime and other minister
met in January and authorized the summary execution of "criminals."
The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, which has a stated
and implicit duty to protect civilians, has confirmed it has been
aware of killings.
Inner
City Press asked the Major General what his troops do about this. "I
do not command the police," he said. "I do not speak on
this."
This
seems to be a major problem. Even those the UN peacekeepers are
changed, according to the force commander, with security and not
criminal justice, if they witnessed one civilians killing another
they would act. But if Haitian National Police kill someone, even as
a summary execution, the UN says and does nothing?
Clinton, Ban, Holmes and Haitian Ambassador,
HNP killings not shown
Later
on Thursday, Bill Clinton was scheduled to join a press stakeout with
Ban Ki-moon, John Holmes and Haiti's Ambassador. But Clinton was
delayed, due in part to an anthrax scare at the UN -- click here for
Inner City Press' first and second stories -- so he skipped the stake
out. Mr. Ban took only one question before leaving.
Inner
City Press asked Haiti's Ambassador about a meeting between President
Rene Preval and US contractor Ashbritt, to gain rubble removal
contracts. He replied no contract has yet be let, and whoever wins
must create jobs. Afterwards, he thanked Inner City Press for not
asking about the HNP's alleged executions.
John
Holmes dodged questions, first about his leaked email about Haiti,
then about restrictions on UN aid in Somalia being imposed by the US.
We'll have more on this.
* * *
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.
* * *
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