At
UN,
No Answers on
Myanmar or
Sudan Abuse,
Malvinas
Moonlighting
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 16 --
From Sudan to
Myanmar
through Nepal,
there
are simply no
answers these
days from Ban
Ki-moon's UN.
On February
15, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's Deputy
Spokesman
Eduardo del
Buey
for the UN's
response
to South
Sudenese
complaints of
misdeed by
Sudan, where
the UN has two
peacekeeping
missions and
at least one
dedicated
envoy. But
neither then
nor at the
next day's
noon
briefing did
the UN have
any comment.
Likewise,
even
with Ban's
chief of staff
Vijay Nambiar
in Myanmar,
the UN had no
response to
that country's
supposed human
rights
commission
refusing
to probe
allegations of
widespread
military abuse
in the Kachin
and
other ethnic
areas.
Would Nambiar,
who has
refused
repeated
requests
to answer
questions from
the Press, do
a briefing
upon his
return.
Del Buey said
he would ask,
but provided
no update at
the next day's
noon briefing.
Then,
Inner City
Press asked
about a plea
for UN
protection
from two
former UN
officials in
Nepal, Kanak
Mani Dixit and
Kul Chandra
Gautam, and
their
criticism of
Ban's reported
involvement
in a Buddha
(and
reportedly
tourism)
related
project in
Lumbini. Inner
City Press has
previously
asked about
Ban's
involvement in
this
project,
without
answer. And at
February 16
noon briefing
there was
no answer
either.
(c) UN Photo
Ban in
Lumbini, Iam
Martin by
copter but
answers not
shown
When
Inner City
Press asked
about
complaints it
has received
and reported
on from UN
Department of
Political
Affairs
whistleblowers
about Ban's
Argentine
Assistant
Secretary
General Oscar
Ferandez-Taranco
spending much
time
working on his
own country's
interest in
the Malvinas
or Falkland
Islands, Del
Buey said the
UN doesn't
comment on
rumors.
One, that's
not true; two,
it is a
factual
question,
whether the UN
has at least
prior to Ban
had a policy
against its
officials
working on or
in
their own
countries, and
how much time
Ferandez-Taranco
has so far
spent on the
Malvinas.
We'll see.
, 
