In Timor Aftermath, No Answer on Reinado's Reported Letter to UN's Ban
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, February 19 -- Does the UN read and respond to its mail, when it comes from well-known rebel leaders in countries the Secretary-General is about to visit? Tuesday Inner City Press asked UN spokesperson Marie Okabe if she would confirm the UN's receipt of a letter from now-dead Timor-Leste rebel leader Alfredo Reinado dated November 27, just weeks before Ban Ki-moon slipped away from the Bali climate change talks and visited Timor.
It has been reported that in the nine-page letter, to which Ban never responded, Reinado said that he and his 700 fighters, former government soldiers, felt "neglected, abandoned and forgotten by the government they had lost all confidence in" and suggested to Ban "military cantoning, as proof of our goodwill and efforts for peace." Less than three months later, Reinado reportedly led the attack on president Jose Ramos-Horta after which, according to Ramos-Horta's brother, UN peacekeepers stood by. Wednesday, the Security Council is slated to get a briefing from head UN envoy to Timor, Atul Khare. Inner City Press asked if journalists can put questions to Mr. Khare, and was told that would be asked. Video here, from Minute 21:54. Here's hoping the response is faster than to Reinado.
UN's Atul Khare, with flag and Jose Ramos-Horta in Oct. 07, Reinado's letter to Ban not shown
No comments:
Post a Comment