By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 3 -- Amid the violence in Bangladesh in February and March, Inner City Press five times asked the UN how it reviews whether the military personnel it uses from Bangladesh have not been involved in human rights violations. February 5 video; UN's February 20 transcript; February 23 transcript, video here.
Now on April 3, without ever providing an answer from Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping, which has taken to shooting at civilian demonstrators in Mali and Haiti (and not answering about it, video here,Vine here), UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon serves up this upbeat comment:
"The Secretary-General welcomes the de-escalation of violence in Bangladesh in the past weeks. He is also encouraged by the opposition’s decision to participate in the city council elections for Dhaka and Chittagong, scheduled for 28 April. The Secretary-General appeals to the authorities in all relevant institutions to ensure that the elections will be transparent, inclusive, and credible.
"The Secretary-General hopes that political parties will soon find a way to overcome their differences for the sake of the country’s long-term development and stability. The United Nations remains fully committed to supporting Bangladesh in this regard."
"The Secretary-General hopes that political parties will soon find a way to overcome their differences for the sake of the country’s long-term development and stability. The United Nations remains fully committed to supporting Bangladesh in this regard."
Back on March 12 amid reports of the disappearance of the BNP spokesman Salah Uddin Ahmed, Inner City Press asked about him.Video here. " Given the calls from this podium to de-escalate what the response is and whether there have been any further efforts to get either Mr. Taranco or others to the country?"
Spokesman Dujarric: I don't have an update beyond reiterating what we've said here for political dialogue and for de-escalating the tensions in Bangladesh, but I will try to get you some more.
Spokesman Dujarric: I don't have an update beyond reiterating what we've said here for political dialogue and for de-escalating the tensions in Bangladesh, but I will try to get you some more.
Seven hours later, there was nothing.
Inner City Press also asked the IMF on March 12:
Inner City Press also asked the IMF on March 12:
On Bangladesh, Mr Cubero said “should calm be restored and uncertainty abate, growth should strengthen to 6½ percent in FY16.” Does the IMF believe that the government's crackdown is the way to restore calm or another approach should be used?
After the IMF's embargoed March 12 briefing, an IMF Spokesperson provided this to Inner City Press on Bangladesh:
"Our most recent press release summarizes our views on the economy and the near-term outlook – we would not comment beyond that.”
Oh.
On March 11, Inner City Press again asked about the peacekeeping issue, video here, transcript here:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about Bangladesh. There are several police units, some of whom I've asked you about, the Rapid Action Battalion and others, have publicly said that they want to repeal a law, a ban against torture of people incarcerated, because they've been accused of torture. And I wanted to know whether this is the type of thing that would catch the attention of DPKO given that it has employed numerous officials of these very units, in a variety of peacekeeping missions.
Spokesman Dujarric: I have not seen that report. I think the Secretary-General's position is… principled position is obviously against torture and for Governments and States to sign on to the various Conventions against torture and to uphold that international law. If I have anything else from DPKO, I will let you know.
Spokesman Dujarric: I have not seen that report. I think the Secretary-General's position is… principled position is obviously against torture and for Governments and States to sign on to the various Conventions against torture and to uphold that international law. If I have anything else from DPKO, I will let you know.
Nine hours later, there was nothing. The head of UN Peacekeeping,Herve Ladsous, has a history, including of not answering press questions.
Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have also asked about freedom of expression in Bangladesh - and relatedly at the UN, when a journalist asking questions at the UN had his media blocked back in Bangladesh.
While the UN Spokesman replied that he had spoken with the journalist in questions -- which was not the point -- from elsewhere in the UN to the request for action, no response. Now the journalist and four colleagues have had their accreditations pulled.
Inner City Press on March 5 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric if the UN had any involvement in a statement urging de-escalation issued by a group of Ambassadors in Dhaka. I am not aware that we have any involvement in that, the UN Spokesman replied. Video here. Why not?
Why didn't UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman, who spent days in Myanmar then Sri Lanka, make a push to visit Bangladesh at this time? Did he? His office has not answered questions about his Sri Lanka trip, but Dujarric says he will answer questions on March 6. Only about Ukraine? Watch this site.
The UN makes many vague and grandiose statements about its commitment to freedom of the press. But when a journalist who asked questions at its noon briefing about Bangladesh had his family's house in Dhaka visited by the authorities, and his media's website blocked, what did the UN do?
Not much, it seems. After asking the UN Spokesperson and others in the UN in writing, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked Spokesman Stephane Dujarric what he or the UN had done. Video here.
All that Dujarric would say is that he had spoken with the journalist. But what does that accomplish? Anything said publicly? Or (next story) to the country? Apparently not.
On February 28 Inner City Press for FUNCA asked the Spokesperson:
1) [The journalist] who has been asking questions about Bangladesh at the noon briefing of late and about whom Inner City Press asked on February 27 now says that his media has now been blocked in Bangladesh, and he fears for the safety of his spouse and two children there.
On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, any UN comment? Or action?
2) please explain the correction today by your office, changing “saddened” to “condemn” -- was any complain received by the UN about the failure to condemn? Was the initial (or second) statement prepared by the Department of Political Affairs?
Finally, where are the Sri Lanka read-outs requested by Inner City Press and seemingly promised on Friday, Feb 27? This is an ongoing request.
On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, any UN comment? Or action?
2) please explain the correction today by your office, changing “saddened” to “condemn” -- was any complain received by the UN about the failure to condemn? Was the initial (or second) statement prepared by the Department of Political Affairs?
Finally, where are the Sri Lanka read-outs requested by Inner City Press and seemingly promised on Friday, Feb 27? This is an ongoing request.
And only this answer came: "the statement resissue was due clerical error on our part. Nothing more. On the rest we"ll revert."
But there was no reversion. By March 2, nothing on it. Nor from elsewhere in the UN system where it and more was sent. So the question was asked at the March 2 UN noon briefing. We'll have more on this.
On February 27 Inner City Press asked, video here:
Inner City Press: Press freedom question, both in Bangladesh and about Bangladesh here. One, there was a pretty high-profile hacking to death of a blogger in Bangladesh named Avijit Roy, and I'm wondering whether the UN system, CPJ and others have denounced it for obvious reasons. What does the UN say about that? And also our colleague who's asked a number of questions here about Bangladesh, I tried to ask MALU yesterday whether it was true as reported in Bangladesh that the Government of Bangladesh or mission made some inquiry with the UN trying to essentially question his accreditation or make it so he couldn't ask questions here. And I wanted to know, what's the position of the UN on such inquiries?
Spokesman Dujarric: The UN's position is if somebody meets the accreditation criteria, they are welcome in this room and they are welcome to ask any questions. I may cut them off if the preamble to their question is too long, but that's just my chair's prerogative.
Inner City Press: Is it appropriate for Member States to try to essentially, like, cherry pick what journalists get to ask questions?
Spokesman Dujarric: The point is that once they're in this room, they're allowed to ask whatever they want. Okay? On the attack of the blogger, we spoke to our human rights colleagues who obviously condemned the attack and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice through the due process of law, and they've added that it's obviously very important that the space for freedom of expression in civil society be upheld in Bangladesh.
Spokesman Dujarric: The UN's position is if somebody meets the accreditation criteria, they are welcome in this room and they are welcome to ask any questions. I may cut them off if the preamble to their question is too long, but that's just my chair's prerogative.
Inner City Press: Is it appropriate for Member States to try to essentially, like, cherry pick what journalists get to ask questions?
Spokesman Dujarric: The point is that once they're in this room, they're allowed to ask whatever they want. Okay? On the attack of the blogger, we spoke to our human rights colleagues who obviously condemned the attack and expressed the hope that the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice through the due process of law, and they've added that it's obviously very important that the space for freedom of expression in civil society be upheld in Bangladesh.
After the briefing, Inner City Press and FUNCA were informed that the referenced journalist -- not the murdered blogger -- had his media's website blocked in Bangladesh, where there have been arrests for carrying placards, and threats against the Daily Star for publishing photographs of posters. We'll have more on this.
On February 25, amid push-back at the questions, Inner City Pressasked with even greater specificity:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask, beyond just the arrest warrant against Zia, there's a Mr. Mahmudur Manna has been arrested for trying to stir up the army and he's been arrested by something called the Rapid Action Battalion, RAB. The reason I'm asking is research discovers that Mohammad [UN transcript claims "inaudible" but it is Muhammad Matiur Rahman] of this Rapid Action Battalion named in a filing that was directed to ICC is reportedly about to take up a position within MONUSCO. I've been asking you this a number of times. You'd said that the UN has all these concerns, but given that much of the violence in Bangladesh is allegedly perpetrated by the military that's contributing soldiers, I'm naming this name as a sample case. What does DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] do to review the people coming in? There are other conflicts…
Spokesman Dujarric: I understand. I've heard your question. I tried to answer to the best of my ability yesterday when you last asked it. You know, I have no specific information on the case that you mention or the people you mention. There are procedures in place in order to ensure that DPKO uniformed personnel meet the requirements that we have and also in terms of human rights. If I have any information on those specific cases, I will share them with you.
Spokesman Dujarric: I understand. I've heard your question. I tried to answer to the best of my ability yesterday when you last asked it. You know, I have no specific information on the case that you mention or the people you mention. There are procedures in place in order to ensure that DPKO uniformed personnel meet the requirements that we have and also in terms of human rights. If I have any information on those specific cases, I will share them with you.
But still, nothing, from UN Peacekeeping run by Herve Ladsous.
On February 24 Inner City Press on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the Bangladesh government's threats against the media there, specifically the Daily Star.
Now the these strands have come together, the UN's and UN Peacekeeping's dubious commitment to human rights and a lack of press freedom in Bangladesh -- and in the UN.
The Kaler Kantho newspaper in Bangladesh, saying that questions about human rights and Bangladesh's military should not be asked at the UN's noon briefing, has favorably cited the UN Correspondents Association in its support, reporting (as auto-translated) that ICP
"United Nations Correspondents Association iuenasie) faced investigation. He was threatened with expulsion from the iuenasie was reported that the UK's Guardian newspaper. His reputation for investigative journalism in the United Nations." Click here to view, then translate.
Here is the Guardian article, which reported that ICP which
"has been responsible for breaking several stories about the UN, has.. also written stories accusing the UNCA president, Giampaolo Pioli, of a conflict of interest involving Sri Lanka (see here). Lee is regarded as the UN department of public information's least-favourite journalist because he is persistent, is willing to ask uncomfortable questions, and has cultivated an impressive network of sources within the UN. UNCA is a self-governing body and membership is not a prerequisite for obtaining UN press credentials, which are granted by the UN media accreditation and liaison unit (MALU). So Lee's expulsion would not automatically deprive him of UN access. However, it is possible that it might weigh in the balance when he next applies for credentials."
In fact, Inner City Press was never expelled by UNCA -- they didn't have the votes -- but quit the organization in disgust once its term on the board expired, and co-founded the Free UN Coalition for Access.
In fact, Inner City Press was never expelled by UNCA -- they didn't have the votes -- but quit the organization in disgust once its term on the board expired, and co-founded the Free UN Coalition for Access.
Now, Kaler Kanthro continues after citing UNCA, the UN's Censorship Alliance,, the Bangladesh government is trying to ask the UN - and US State Department - credentials of those who ask questions about human rights abuse and censorship in the country. At the UN, they've found the UN Censorship Alliance. But this time, there's FUNCA.
