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UN Uses Peacekeepers Who “Occupy” Chittagong Hill Tracts, Indigenous Say

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 24, updated -- At the UN the left hand is often out of touch with whom the UN's right hand is hurting. Inner City Press was told Tuesday that the military in Bangladesh is seizing indigenous land in the Chittagong Hill Tracks to train its soldiers who are deployed on UN peacekeeping missions.

Aditya Dewan of the International Jumma Association told Inner City Press that the town in which he was born in the CHT is still “under military occupation,” and that the issue has repeatedly been raised to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which uses Bangladeshi peacekeepers.

So in the same briefing room, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky to get a response:

Inner City Press: Earlier today in this room, there was a press conference about the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, and it was said that the Bangladesh military, it has seized land from indigenous people to do training for peacekeepers that are deployed with DPKO. This was said by a former UN official, now a professor, and backed up by this Chittagong Hill Tracts guy. So I am just wondering, they both also said that these issues had been raised to DPKO in the past, but I am aware that Bangladesh is one of the major troop-contributing countries, so I just wonder, and you may not have it now, but is there a way to get some response from DPKO to what was said in this room about the use of the Bangladeshi military, the use of the lands there and what’s sort of being done about it?

Spokesperson: I am sure my colleagues in DPKO are watching right now.

But five hours later, there was no response at all. Watch this site.

Update of 7:47 pm -- after publication of the story above, the UN sent a response:

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 at 6:48 PM
Subject: Response to your question regarding Bangladesh
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Further to your question at the noon briefing, DPKO advises that it is not aware of any land seized for the training of UN peacekeepers by the Bangladeshi army. There may be training facilities for the Bangladeshi army but the only peacekeeping training centre in Bangladesh is in the capital Dhaka, which is not in the Chittagong area.

But see the allegations made, including of (other) issues raised to DPKO, online here.

* * *

On Walikale Rapes in DRC, Only Mayele in Jail, MONUSCO Shrink After Vote?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 -- Despite vows of accountability for the rapes in Walikale in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year, Inner City Press was told on Wednesday on the margins of the Security Council's meeting on the DRC that the only person still in jail for the rapes is Lt-Col Mayele of the Mai Mai Cheka.

Witnesses are being intimidated and the judge is wavering,” a well placed source told Inner City Press. Mayele, in Goma, has information about other perpetrators, but nothing has been done.

 The other perpetrators, including the elusive Serafim, are said to be identified by name in the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council report on the Walikale rapes.

On the more positive side, sources told Inner City Press, Margot Wallstrom and her UN office on Sexual Violence and Conflict briefed the Security Council's committee on DRC Sanctions.

Outside the Security Council's debate, top UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy told the Press that there is no move to reduce UN presence in the Congo “until the election.” After that it is possible.


Roger Meece previously at stakeout, action on Walikale not shown

  France, the Security Council President for May, organized a day long session on the DRC held at the International Peace Institute but made “on background” under the Chatham House rules imposed by IPI.

  At the session, the rapes in Walikale and elsewhere in North Kivu were ridiculed and dismissed by an official who, under IPI's rules, is given anonymity. Watch this site.

Footnotes: UN envoy Roger Meece didn't speak to the press, instead leaving the Security Council session with the DRC delegation. Meanwhile Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN told Inner City Press "it looks like they don't want to leave."

Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press March 12 UN (and AIG bailout) debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Feb. 12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56

Click here for Inner City Press' Jan. 16, 2009 debate about Gaza

Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate

Click here for Inner City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger

Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards

Click here for Inner City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics

and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.

* * *

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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