In
UN's Colonial
Dance, from
Malvinas to
Kashmir, 70 to
Speak on W.
Sahara
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 8 --
When the UN's
Decolonialization
Committee
started up on
Monday
afternoon,
most of the
speakers were
from Latin
America.
Pakistan
appeared as
the last
listed
speaker,
raising
Kashmir much
to the
consternation
of India,
which said it
shouldn't be
in this
Committee and
"rejected the
remarks
distinguished
delegate" of
Pakistan --
actually, its
Deputy
Permanent
Representative,
who made a
point of
citing
Security
Council
resolutions.
While
many speeches
were the same
as last year,
as more than
one old UN
hand pointed
out to Inner
City Press,
the way
Kashmir was
raised, and
defended, in
the
Decolonialization
Committee was
something new
this year. It
came up as
well in the General
Debate and
replies,
along with
China versus
Japan on
islands, which
was not cited
Monday.
The
Latins were
all about Malvinas,
and Puerto
Rico too,
with Belize on
behalf of
CARICOM also
raising the
Turks and
Caicos.
The UK in its
right to reply
said there had
been no
indigenous
people on the
Falkland
Islands,
and there is a
"revised
electoral
ordinance" in
Turks and
Caicos.
Mentioned
by
all the
Latins, as
well as
Pakistan, was
Western
Sahara.
Morocco had
its Permanent
Representative,
his Deputy and
other staffers
in the room.
But they did
not invoke the
right to
reply. The
representative
of the
POLISARIO
Front told
Inner City
Press he will
probably speak
Wednesday.
There
are 70 listed
speakers on
Western
Sahara; Gabon
as Fourth
Committee
chair said
they will have
four minutes
each. As one
told Inner
City Press,
it's a long
way to travel
for this.
But
this is the
ritual of the
UN, long
travel to New
York to
deliver a
speech that in
most instance
no one listens
to. The media,
too, get
desperate: an
Algerian
television
station,
disappointed
by the lack of
Western Sahara
response,
asked Inner
City Press its
view of Chadli
Bendjedid. For
those view...
you must watch
Algeria TV.
And this site!
Footnote:
In a
Pakistan
irony, only
Saturday night
the
Association of
Indians in
America says
it awarded its
Silver Diwali
Bright Light
Award with the
inscribed
names of
Pakistan's Abdullah
Hussain Haroon,
along with a
report he "is
soon leaving
his post."
Inner City
Press has seen
Ambassador
Khan, said to
be coming in
from Beijing
as Haroon's
replacement,
at the UN last
week. But we
note the
explanation
that he is
here as part
of the UNGA
delegation.
Algerian TV
may not cover
the denouement
- so, watch
this site.
, 
