Ban
and
UNICEF
Quiet on Uzbek Human Rights, Popov, as Karimov Closes
Border
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June
15, updated -- As UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he's
trying to get assistance to Uzbekistan
leader Islam Karimov, who has
closed his border to the ethnic Uzbeks fleeing violence in
Kyrgyzstan, it has emerged that Ban never pushed Karimov on human
rights, the incarceration of AIDS education activist Maxim Popov,
much less on border closing.
Only
last
week,
the chief of UNAIDS told Inner City Press that Ban had been slated to
raise to Karimov, during his trip through Central Asia, the
incarceration of Popov based on his UN system funded AIDS education
pamphlet. [Note: UNICEF says it was
not the funder, but has apparently not sought corrections from AFP,
CPJ
or IFEX;
there are indications that UNDP was the funder.]
Inner
City
Press
asked Ban's Associate spokesman Farhan Haq if Ban had, in fact, ever
raised this issue to Karimov. Haq did not say then, nor since.
On
June 14, Inner
City Press asked Ban's top political adviser Lynn Pascoe, who has
asked Uzbekistan to open its border? Our focus is on getting
humanitarian supplies into Kyrgyzstan, said Pascoe, on his way to Sri
Lanka, viewed as another low point in the Ban Ki-moon human rights
regime.
UN's Ban dines with Karimovs, Popov and fleeing
Uzbeks not invited
Inner
City
Press
asked UNICEF what it has done for Popov, and to respond to reports
that it has let itself be intimidated by Karimov's move to
problematic its Tashkent location(s). Days later, UNICEF provided
these terse responses:
"'UNICEF's
office
in
Tashkent is being relocated due to a major urban
redevelopment. Another site has been identified and UNICEF is
finalizing the move with representatives of the Government of
Uzbekistan.'
'Here
is the answer we received from the UN Country Team on Popov:
"The
UN has approached the government to seek clarification about the
Popov case. The United Nations Human Rights Council – through its
Special Rapporteurs – has engaged with the Government of Uzbekistan
in this matter. With a view to ongoing proceedings, the United
Nations will refrain from providing any further comments.'"
But
Popov's AIDS
education brochure was funded by UNICEF. And on the office
"relocation," it has been reported that
UNICEF
executives,
mainly
foreigners, will temporarily relocate to other UN
offices in Tashkent, but local personnel who were already said to be
crowded into inadequate quarters before the order are apparently
being sent on a forced vacation for an undetermined period....
Last
month
during
a visit to Central Asia, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
visited the UNICEF building together with Uzbek Prime Minister
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, but only for five minutes, and the staff was
unable to alert him to the issue of the move... independent observers
in Tashkent are concerned that the UN agency could be under some
pressure, as other international organizations have been in the past,
as they operate in some sensitive areas of human rights and
humanitarian affairs.
UNICEF
and
the
World Health Organization (WHO) are in the midst of a massive
innoculation campaign of some 3 million children against polio, and
the Uzbek government has closed the border to Tajikistan as 32 polio
cases have been confirmed by WHO there. UNICEF has been careful to
avoid critical statements of the government, and the state-controlled
Uzbek media is not mentioning the campaign.
When
a
UNICEF
grant recipient, HIV/AIDS campaigner Maxim Popov, was
sentenced last year in part on allegations of mismanaging donor funds
and "corrupting youth" with a sex education book, UNICEF
remained silent about his case, despite repeated pleas by human
rights groups to speak out. UNICEF, together with PSI (Population
Services International) Central Asia, had supported a book Popov
distributed on prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and the
use of birth control.
To
be
sure,
Tashkent has been undergoing a general reconstruction which
has sparked public controversy with the removal of century-old
sycamore trees from the center of Tashkent and the creation of parks
and walkways that some activists have seen as deliberately designed
to prevent the gathering of large demonstrations in the public
squares. The current UNICEF office building is slated to be replaced
by a park
Inner
City
Press
specifically asked UNICEF to respond to the report
above, but
received in return only two platitudes. Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon has
yet to offer anything but "help" to Islam Karimov, even
after he closed the borders to ethnic Uzbeks fleeing Kyrgyz violence.
Again,
why
would
Uzbekistan's Islam Karimov close "his" country's border to
fleeing ethnic Uzbeks? Well, some of the Uzbeks in and around Osh
fled there after Karimov's crackdown on protesters in Andijon. To
ensure that none of them return to Uzbekistan, Karimov is willing to
block tens of thousands of ethnic Uzbeks and leave them in harm's
way. And the UN says... nothing. Watch this site.
* * *
As
Uzbeks
Plead
for Safety, UNSC Perm Reps Leave Briefing, No Help on
the Way
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June
14, updated -- With over 120 killed
in Kyrgyzstan and the border
to Uzbekistan now closed to those fleeing the violence, the UN
Security Council met for a briefing late Monday afternoon. The ethnic
Uzbeks, alleging that Kyrgyzstan's government is allowing or
assisting in their slaughter, had asked for outside peacekeepers.
But
even as the UN
briefing started before 6:30 pm, Susan Rice of the US and Gerard
Araud of France left the meeting room. Their focus, it was clear, was
on the briefing by South Korea, that North Korea sunk its ship
Cheonan earlier this year, killing 46 sailors. But what about the more
than 120 Uzbeks killing only this weekend?
At
6:45 pm, a
departing Council Permanent Representative told Inner City Press
"they are just getting started on Kyrgyzstan but I have to
leave."
Why
would Uzbekistan's
Islam
Karimov close "his" country's border to
fleeing ethnic Uzbeks? Well, some of the Uzbeks in and around Osh
fled there after Karimov's crackdown on protesters in Andijon.
UN's Ban dines with Islam Karimov, fleeing ethnic Uzbeks not shown
To
ensure that none of them return to Uzbekistan, Karimov is willing to
block tens of thousands of ethnic Uzbeks and leave them in harms way.
"Never
again,"
the
UN and Western Council members often say. But when
examples come up, or ever fire drills, the warning are rarely heeded.
Watch this site.
Update
of
7:18
p.m. -- As Kyrgyzstan meeting lets out, Pascoe rushes out.
Inner City Press asks, has anyone asked the Uzbeks to open their
border? Pascoe commends Uzbekistan for initial opening, says will try
to get them assistance. But what about the border closing? Pascoe
leaves.
Update
of
7:33
p.m. -- Council President Heller said the members condemn
violence. Inner City Press asked, what about the closing of the Uzbek
border? Heller: concerned about internationalization, countering on
regional organizations. But CSTO will send no peacekeepers. Does the
closing of the border KEEP it from being an international issue? Who
does that benefit? To be continued.
Update:
from
the
Mexican Mission to the UN's transcription:
Inner
City
Press:
... Uzbekistan has closed its border and people have
tried to flee the violence…
CHeller:
There’s
an
expression I made, I expressed my concern and of other
members of the Security Council about the risk of
internationalization of the crisis, if there is a border situation
with Uzbekistan. That’s why we think it is very important that the
UN and other regional organizations have a follow up on this.
Inner
City
Press
But CS[T]O says they’re not sending any troops, they’re
only sending logistical support. So is anyone gonna send anyone to
that specific region?
CH:
I
don’t
have any information on this.
* * *
, 
