UNITED NATIONS, September 7 -- With Nepal on its agenda, the UN Security Council began closed door consultations on Tuesday morning in New York. As Philip Parham, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK, the Council's lead country on Nepal, began to speak, suddenly Nepal's letter to the Council about the future of the UN Mission UNMIN was distributed to members, sources tell Inner City Press.
Parham immediately expressed displeasure at the letter's late arrival, the latest yet in the series of short term roll overs the Council has given to UNMIN. Major player China said it was no longer prepared to set forth its position at the meeting, but would have to study the letter.
Meanwhile another critical letter, this one from former Nepalese Prime Ministers, was directed at Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, picking apart his latest report on Nepal. At Tuesday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm receipt of the letter, and for the Secretary General's response.
Haq dodged the question.
He referred Inner City Press to the written testimony of Ban's envoy to Nepal, Karin Landgren, which was written before the ex-Ministers' letter, signed by Ram Sharan Mahat, Nepali Congress Party, KP Sharma Oli, Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Chakra Prasad Bastola, Nepali Congress Party, and Prakash Chandra Lohani, Rastriya Janashakti Party.
Inner City Press has obtained a copy of the former ministers' letter, and places it online here. Watch this site.
Footnote: Nepali members of a UN Formed Police Unit in Haiti are accused of a role in the death in Cap Hatien of 16 year old Haitian Gerard Jean Gilles on August 17. Inner City Press on Tuesday asked the UN about it, and was directed to a MINUSTAH Mission press release confirming that an investigation has begun. But will it be followed through?
