By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un4quakehaiti011310.html
UNITED NATIONS, January 13 -- With the UN still vague about its top envoy in Haiti Hedi Annabi, in front of the UN Security Council on Wednesday morning Inner City Press asked a diplomat from China about reports of eight dead Chinese.
The diplomat confirmed the figure, but also told Inner City Press that four of the eight were members of a Chinese delegation to Haiti. They were meeting with Mr. Annabi at the time of the earthquake, the diplomat said, adding "they are dead."
If Chinese officials know that their diplomats meeting with Mr. Annabi have been killed, it is more than that Annabi is "missing" or unaccounted for.
For the UN to be cautious before releasing death figures is one thing. But to lag so far behind its member states, particularly regarding it top leader in Haiti, is subject to question.
On a media conference call by Doctors without Border / MSF on Wednesday morning, Inner City Press asked it MSF has any information about the UN headquarters in the Hotel Christopher.
MSF' Paul McPhun replied that the UN has been badly damaged, MSF does not expect much help from the UN as they will have to face their internal challenges. MSF says, unprompted, that it cannot confirm how the top leadership of the UN in Haiti has been impacted. But China says it has the information.
We hope it is somehow not true. But this source is well positioned and has been impeccable in the past. Watch this site.
Footnotes: Some in Haiti have noted to Inner City Press that the Chinese "riot squad" unit with MINUSTAH was also active in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, to which the previous contingent flew back (see above). Also, in the UN Security Council, China in the past threatened to veto or shorten the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Mission MINUSTAH due to Haiti recognizing Taiwan. This recognition, like many in the Caribbean, was revoked.
