---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ACHR REVIEW <achr_review@achrweb.org>
Date: Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 6:12 PM
Subject: UN Peace Keeping Operations: Don't ask, Don't tell
To: achr_review@achrweb.org
Asian Centre for Human Rights
[ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
Tel/Fax: +91-11- 45501889 25620583
Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org
Embargoed for: 1 October 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
Asian Centre for Human Rights has the pleasure to share an exclusive
article titled, "Don't ask, Don't tell" written by its Director in The
Kathmandu Post (Nepal) of today.
It is available at:
http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/01/15/Oped/Seize-the-day/306391/
There is a glaring absence of a UN system for human rights vetting prior
to selection for peacekeeping operations. The case of Major Niranjan
Basnet of Nepal who has been charged with illegal detention, torture, and
murder of a 15-year-old girl, Maina Sunuwar, by the Kavre District Court
in 2007 exemplifies this. The government of Nepal has been repeatedly
complaining to the UN, related (amongst others) to Army's fury over the
repatriation of Major Niranjan Basnet from the UN Peace Keeping Mission to
Chad over charges of torture and murder in Nepal during the insurgency.
The UN relies on key member states for troops for peacekeeping missions.
The top six contributing countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nigeria,
Egypt and Nepal) account for the overwhelming majority of peacekeeping
forces. Together they represent nearly 46 percent (based on May 2010
figures). However, all six have, at best, poor human rights records. In
all these countries human rights abuses appear to have a systematic
character. At least three of the countries are engaged in significant
counter-insurgency operations involving widespread abuses of human rights.
All of the states can be characterised as offering very high levels of
impunity to members of the security forces.
The attempt to push officers with outstanding criminal allegations into UN
peacekeeping missions must be addressed with a formal and public response.
This constitutes a direct public attack on the integrity of the United
Nations. The UN cannot afford to be seen to be hand wringing; to do so
would be to seriously threaten the effective functioning and credibility
of UN peacekeeping missions.
In this exclusive article, the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR)
advocates for development of vetting mechanisms to exclude the human
rights violators from the UN Peace Keeping Missions.
We thought you would find the article of interest.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
From: ACHR REVIEW <achr_review@achrweb.org>
Date: Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 6:12 PM
Subject: UN Peace Keeping Operations: Don't ask, Don't tell
To: achr_review@achrweb.org
Asian Centre for Human Rights
[ACHR has Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC]
C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India
Tel/Fax: +91-11- 45501889 25620583
Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: achr_review@achrweb.org
Embargoed for: 1 October 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
Asian Centre for Human Rights has the pleasure to share an exclusive
article titled, "Don't ask, Don't tell" written by its Director in The
Kathmandu Post (Nepal) of today.
It is available at:
http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/01/15/Oped/Seize-the-day/306391/
There is a glaring absence of a UN system for human rights vetting prior
to selection for peacekeeping operations. The case of Major Niranjan
Basnet of Nepal who has been charged with illegal detention, torture, and
murder of a 15-year-old girl, Maina Sunuwar, by the Kavre District Court
in 2007 exemplifies this. The government of Nepal has been repeatedly
complaining to the UN, related (amongst others) to Army's fury over the
repatriation of Major Niranjan Basnet from the UN Peace Keeping Mission to
Chad over charges of torture and murder in Nepal during the insurgency.
The UN relies on key member states for troops for peacekeeping missions.
The top six contributing countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nigeria,
Egypt and Nepal) account for the overwhelming majority of peacekeeping
forces. Together they represent nearly 46 percent (based on May 2010
figures). However, all six have, at best, poor human rights records. In
all these countries human rights abuses appear to have a systematic
character. At least three of the countries are engaged in significant
counter-insurgency operations involving widespread abuses of human rights.
All of the states can be characterised as offering very high levels of
impunity to members of the security forces.
The attempt to push officers with outstanding criminal allegations into UN
peacekeeping missions must be addressed with a formal and public response.
This constitutes a direct public attack on the integrity of the United
Nations. The UN cannot afford to be seen to be hand wringing; to do so
would be to seriously threaten the effective functioning and credibility
of UN peacekeeping missions.
In this exclusive article, the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR)
advocates for development of vetting mechanisms to exclude the human
rights violators from the UN Peace Keeping Missions.
We thought you would find the article of interest.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Suhas Chakma
Director
--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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