On
Bangladesh
Violence, UN
Won't Confirm
Why Taranco
Met US Biswal
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 11 --
Amid the
violence in
Bangladesh, UN
official Oscar
Fernandez
Taranco
appeared on
the schedule
of US Assistant
Secretary of
State Nisha
Biswal on
February 11,
to meet at
3:45 pm. Inner
City Press
surmised,
since Taranco
was previously
sent to Dhaka
for the UN,
that it was
about Bangladesh.
But so far the
UN has
declined to
confirm even
that.
UN
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric on
February 11
said:
"the
[former]
Assistant
Secretary-General
in charge of
[Political
Affairs] Oscar
Fernández-Taranco
has been
tasked by the
Secretary-General
to liaise with
the Government
and he's doing
just
that.
The
Secretary-General
is personally
committed to
the stability
and positive
development of
Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, as
you know, is a
critical
partner of the
United Nations
in many
areas.
And obviously,
I think, as
we've said
here a number
of times, we
are very much
concerned
about the
violence and
the loss of
life that's
occurred in
Bangladesh
since the
beginning of
last year."
Inner
City Press:
You said that
Mr. Taranco is
still involved
in this
issue. I
notice that
he's meeting
this afternoon
with Nisha
Biswal, the US
Assistant
Secretary of
State for
South and
Central
Asia. Is
it fair to
assume that
that's what
that meeting
is
about?
And how would
you
characterize
it?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think it's
not fair to
assume
anything.
I'll now see
if I can
actually get
you some
facts, as
opposed to
assumptions.
But
seven hours
later,
nothing. So it
goes with the
UN and
Bangladesh.
We
note that
Biswal's 11 am
February 11
meeting with
Bangladeshi
Ambassador to
the U.S.
Mohammad
Ziauddin...
When
on February 5
Inner City
Press asked
the UN,
which uses
Bangladesh
soldiers as
peacekeepers,
this ensued:
Inner
City Press: In
Bangladesh,
the… things
seem to be
getting
worse.
Former Prime
Minister has
been charged
with arson
and… which she
says she
doesn't
do. The
power's been
turned off to
the opposition
party and
basically the
authorities
are using
violence on
protestors.
So, I'm
wondering,
what's the
response of
the
Secretary-General?
Is there any
[Department of
Political
Affairs] or
other UN
involvement in
trying to
mediate
it? And
with senior
military
officials
making
statements
about what
they'll do to
civilians,
what's the
impact on
Bangladesh as
a peacekeeping
contributing
country?
Deputy
Spokesman
Farhan
Haq:
Well, the
political
process is
separate and
apart from the
issue of
peacekeepers
in UN
missions, who
are under the
control
ultimately of
the
mission.
Regarding the
situation in
Bangladesh,
we've made our
concerns
known.
As you know,
officials,
including the
senior
officials from
our Department
for Political
Affairs, have
repeatedly
visited
Bangladesh,
trying to meet
with the
leaders there
and make sure
that the
crisis can be
resolved
peacefully.
As you know,
we continue to
have our
concerns that
that hasn't
happened and
that there has
been
violence.
We have
continually
encouraged and
continue to
encourage the
authorities to
allow for
peaceful
protest and
for the right
to peaceful
assembly.
And beyond
that, we'll
continue to be
in touch with
the leaders of
the two main
parties,
trying to make
sure that they
can resolve
their
differences.
So what if
anything is
the UN doing?
Watch this
site.
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