By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 16 -- Four days after a rumored visit to Haiti by US Secretary of State John Kerry did not take place, and UN Peacekeepers have fired pistols and tear gas into crowds of people protesting the failure to hold elections, and blocked the camera of media trying to cover it (video here), Kerry put out this statement:"As Haiti’s political leaders work to resolve the issue of delayed elections, the United States supports the right of the Haitian people to go to the polls to determine their future. Elections are essential for Haiti’s democratic development and for continued progress in post-earthquake reconstruction and development. We commend the work of Haiti's presidential advisory commission and welcome its recommendations as a basis to encourage consensus. We also commend President Martelly for his courageous efforts to resolve the deadlock and for his decision to accept the commission’s recommendations. Prime Minister Lamothe's announcement of his resignation is evidence of the Haitian executive branch’s commitment to resolve the situation. Haiti’s parliamentary and political leaders also have worked in earnest to maintain the integrity of Haiti’s democratic institutions. Recognizing the concessions made by all sides to resolve the impasse, the United States urges all parties to reach without delay a definitive agreement on all outstanding issues and to carry out that agreement in good faith. Too much progress has been made since the earthquake to risk going backwards now. The future of that progress is in the hands of Haiti’s leaders, and we urge them to negotiate a solution that will open the door for elections to be scheduled as soon as possible."
We'll have more on this. On the UN shooting, on December 15, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the incident, which the UN mission MINUSTAH has said it is investigating itself. Dujarric repeated this, adding that he didn't want to "pre-judge." Video here. But MINUSTAH's short press statement already characterized as "violent" the demonstrators that were shot at.
Dujarric said they'd have to see if the peacekeeper felt threatened. Video here. After the web-cast UN noon briefing, Inner City Press was contacted by viewers who noted this subjective idea of an armed authority feeling threatened is that invoked in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner on Staten Island in New York.
As on its impunity for bringing cholera to Haiti, the UN is on strange and untenable ground in seeking to justify shooting at unarmed people. And the head of UN Peacekeepering Herve Ladsous is conveniently in former French colony Senegal during all this.
UN Peacekeeping's chief is Herve Ladous, and tellingly he himself tried to block the camera of the Press, right inside the UN, in September 2014. Vine here.
When a subordinate carries out the same act as his or her ultimate supervisor publicly did, it is case of command responsibility. So who should be held accountable is known - but will it happen?
Back on December 2, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about MINUSTAH and protests:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about Haiti, since there's the Mission there. There have been protests about the failure to hold elections and they've been put down by police. I wanted to know, first, whether there's been any MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] involvement; and also what the Mission's thinking is as the 12 January deadline imposes when the Government will be dissolved and Mr. [Michel] Martelly will rule by decree. Is that the fact? And what’s the UN doing?
Spokesman Dujarric: I don't believe there's been… I don't believe there's been any involvement of MINUSTAH in the demonstrations. Obviously, it's important that people have the right to demonstrate peacefully and it's up to the authorities to ensure that right is respected. The political situation in Haiti obviously remains a concern. It is one that we're following closely.
So what happened December 2 ("no involvement of MINUSTAH") and December 12 - MINUSTAH shooting into the crowd? Inner City Press has asked Dujarric about the UN's rules of engagement, so far without answer.
With questions unanswered, UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous had the gall on the afternoon of December 13 to rebroadcast MINUSTAH self-congratulations that ignored its filmed shooting at protesters and threatening media. Inner City Press initially asked the UN Spokesman:
"What were the rules of engagement? Who gave the order to use pistol(s) and, separately, tear gas? What is the UN's understanding of injuries caused? What was the role, and is the comment, of the Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous?"
Inner City Press twice, in two media, asked for an explanation or comment from the UN Spokesman, and Saturday afternoon received this:
"The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, (MINUSTAH), has been informed of an alleged excessive use of force, while responding to violent demonstrators targeting law enforcement personnel supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) and causing injuries and destruction of property, during the demonstration in Port-au-Prince today. The Mission takes this allegation very seriously and immediately opened an investigation to establish the facts."
Artfully, or inartfully, the MINUSTAH statement does not state that it is the UN's own alleged (filmed) excessive use of force - so is the UN investigating itself? We've asked the UN Spokesperson and weekend duty officer this:
Because the MINUSTAH statement leaves it unclear, can you confirm that it is the UN's own “alleged excessive use of force” that the UN is now investigating?
What is the time frame for the investigation?
Who is doing the investigation? MINUSTAH's human rights unit?
Can to state now that the results of the investigation will be made public?
Since the MINUSTAH statement expresses conclusions about the demonstrators (“violent,” “and causing injuries and destruction of property”) please provide similar preliminary findings as to UN Peacekeepers' action shown on this video:http://youtu.be/38owUZrNHzA
Hours later, no answer, even as the second video emerged. Others in the UN system have been asked; we'll have more on that.Inner City Press has also sought comment from prospective UN-related awardee Andrea Bocelli, slated to accept without reference to the UN bringing cholera or now shooting into crowds there an award from the UN's Censorship Alliance next week -- and continues to await response.
The MINUSTAH mission has just published this: "MINUSTAH has been informed of an alleged excessive use of force, while responding to violent demonstrators targeting law enforcement personnel supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) and causing injuries and destruction of property, during the demonstration in Port-au-Prince today. The Mission takes this allegation very seriously and immediately opened an investigation to establish the facts."
But UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous is already accused of cover-ups. This MINUSTAH statement doesn't even say against whom the allegations are.
Inner City Press, before the December 12 protests and footage of the UN firing into them, asked the UN Office of the Spokesperson about the failure to hold elections, and if the MINUSTAH mission was involved in cracking down on demonstrations. On the latter, the answer given then was no.
Now, this video, by Le Nouvelliste. Who will be held accountable? UN Peacekeeping is run by Herve Ladsous, a former French diplomat and spokesman during the ouster of Aristide. We will have more on this.
The day after the injustice of the UN's impunity for bringing cholera to Haiti was the subject of a religious service across First Avenue from the UN, photo here, Inner City Press asked the UN's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here:
Inner City Press: About Haiti. There was — yesterday afternoon, almost at the same time as the Ebola press conference, there was a religious ceremony held across the street of the Church Centre by both Haitians that live in New York who have had family members killed by cholera and also UN staff who feel that the UN policy of not directly addressing the claims for the families that were victims of the cholera is unjust. I wanted to know if you were aware of that, if you have any response to it?
Spokesman: I personally was not aware. I think you know that the legal position of the UN as to this case is not, has not changed. That being said, the UN continues to be very involved jointly with the Government of Haiti to work on the cholera issue in Haiti, to work on rebuilding the sanitation system, and I think the Secretary-General in his visit to Haiti in — over the summer, right? In July, in mid-July, excuse me, in mid-July, I think, you know, went to one of the impacted village, prayed with the families and showed his empathy to the victims.
Inner City Press: I understand that. I don't think — people see the Secretary-General trying to raise funds for water and sanitation going forward. I guess the question becomes for families that lost their breadwinner and, therefore, have kids who are unable to go to school with school fees, things like that, is there any — what's the UN's thinking? Is the — the Government apparently has not addressed that problem. So I'm wondering… I guess…
Spokesman: I think whenever you have — whenever you have victims of any disaster, the issue of losing the breadwinner is an important one and one that needs to be addressed by national authorities in assistance with the international community. Masood?
Up to December 12, a item in the US State Department's public schedule read:
"COUNSELOR TOM SHANNON Counselor Shannon is on travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti through December 12. He is accompanied by Haiti Special Coordinator Thomas Adams."
Shannon and Adams have been in Haiti for days, it seemed preparing for a visit by Secretary of State John Kerry on December 12. Protests are planned, not least due to the US arguing in court in support of the UN's immunity, that is, impunity, and refusal to help its victims, families whose bread-winner was killed by the cholera UN Peacekeeping brought.
Does the US read its own (incomplete) travel warnings?
