72 Seconds and Drones

Mum on drones, US up on Balochistan
By: The Nation Monitoring – 1 November, 2012

UNITED NATIONS – Ducking the drone issue, the US has voiced concerns over what it called “growing instability” in Balochistan.US Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Eileen Donahoe, alleged that security squads in the province, under their kill-and-dispose of policy, have been “targeting proponents of civic rights, local activists and their families, journalists, political workers and student leaders, therefore the Baloch society has been alienating and chances of peace there have been shrinking”.

Donahoe, while taking part in the debate on the human rights situation in Pakistan during a UN Human Rights Council meeting Tuesday, demanded that this drive to gag opponents through the use of force be stopped, and those responsible for torturing and lifting people at the national level be brought to justice.

According to BBC, the US envoy also expressed apprehensions over the increasing attacks on Shias and Pakistani authorities’ sluggishness to investigate them. Donahoe, however, did not make any mention of US drone strikes that some believe she should have.

The UN Human Rights Council, elections for which are heating up, allowed a mere 80 seconds per speaker on candidate Pakistan.Including Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, most of the Western countries called for amendments to the blasphemy law in the light of the international conventions; signing of international convention against enforced disappearance of civilians; effective execution of the rights of women, children, religious and ethnic minorities; effective implementation of the existing laws to discourage the trend of forced marriages and human trafficking.

They also called for the protection of human rights activists and journalists. Algiers, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia, many African and Asian Muslim countries, and China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Sri Lanka expressed satisfaction over the progress in legislation about human rights in Pakistan, keeping in view the economic, political and terrorism challenges facing it.

Nevertheless, Indian delegation did not participate in the UN review meeting for Pakistan, although it was present in Geneva.

Speaking back to back, Sri Lanka wished Pakistan best of luck in its fight against terrorism, and Sudan raised the issue of US drone strikes. Last week, Christof Heyns as UN system Special Rapporteur responded to Inner City Press that this fight in 2009 killed some 40,000 civilians. Is this the luck being wished? Sri Lanka soon faces its own so-called Universal Periodic Review, but with even less time per speaker: only 72 seconds.

On Pakistan, Sudan raised the issue of drone strikes, days after its ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman, told Inner City Press that his country would be filing a complaint against Israel with the UN Security Council for the bombing of Yarmouk compound in Khartoum.

The UNSC has been closed for five days: first for Eid and the weekend, now two days and counting for Hurricane Sandy in New York.Incoming UNSC member Australia raised Malala by name; Brazil offered some praise despite a glancing reference to ‘recent disturbing developments’.

Permanent UNSC member the UK raised the death penalty; failed UNSC candidate Canada used its time to ask a question about religious freedom.The US has been running to keep its seat on the Human Rights Council, and sent official Harold Koh to make its case at the UN Headquarters earlier this month. When Inner City Press asked about drone strikes, not only in Pakistan but also Yemen and Somalia, Koh said these comply with all international laws, a point about which Inner City Press asked Heyns, who is UN system Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions. He was less sure of their legality. But what is or can be resolved in the 80 seconds given on Pakistan? Or the 72 seconds coming up on Sri Lanka?

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