By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unmin1terai072309.html
UNITED NATIONS, July 23 -- There are 107 armed groups in the Terai region of Nepal, and human rights defenders there feel more at risk now than at the height of the civil war, Karin Landgren, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Nepal told the Press on Thursday. Inner City Press asked for the position of the UN Mission in Nepal on possible arms sales by India to Nepal. Ms. Landgren said that the Nepali defense minister is in India, but that UNMIN's view is that arms sales at this time would violate Article 5.3 of the agreement on monitoring arms and armies signed in Nepal.
While UNMIN has been viewed as one of the UN's most (or few) successful missions, of late it has been unraveling. Maoists were caught on video bragging that they had or have far fewer fighters than counted and "verified" by UNMIN and the UN Development Program. Inner City Press asked Ms. Landgren if the UN's credibility is not in doubt. See our May press release, Ms. Landgren answered.
Another attendee of Thursday noon briefing mocked the proceedings, which began with the read-out of a statement by Ban Ki-moon from China about the benefits of long lasting light bulbs. "It's like she's talking about the Dear Leader," he snarked, referring to North Korea. Ms. Landgren, at least, acknowledged there were problems. It's more than most UN envoys do.
Ms. Landgren's predecessor Ian Martin has been seen around the UN recently, on Thursday on his way into the panel discussion on the Responsibility to Protect, looking for Noam Chomsky. More and more it seems that Martin's on the hunt for another UN post. There've been worse envoys..... Watch this site.And see, www.innercitypress.com/unmin1terai072309.html
