UN alarmed by use of excessive force and credible evidence of rights violations
The secretary general of the United Nations, António Guterres, has expressed concerns over reported mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opposition in connection with the current student movement in Bangladesh.
He is also alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations, said his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at a press briefing on Monday.
At the beginning of his briefing, the spokesperson read out the UN secretary general’s statement on Bangladesh in particular on Monday.
He said, “The secretary general remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh. He notes reports of the resumption of student protests today and reiterates his call for calm and restraint.”
Highlighting the incidents of recent arrests, he said, “The secretary general is concerned about reported mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opposition in connection with the current student movement. He underscores the importance of due process and the right to freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.”
Citing the UN chief, he referred to the authorities’ actions towards the recent protests and called for proper investigations into the incidents.
“He is also alarmed by emerging reports about the excessive use of force by security forces and credible evidence of human rights violations. He reiterates his call for all acts of violence to be investigated promptly, transparently, and impartially, and for those responsible to be held to account,” noted the spokesperson.
Sharing the UN’s course of response, Stéphane Dujarric said, “We continue to raise our concerns about the situation in the country with relevant authorities, both in the capital, Dhaka, and here in New York, and we count on Bangladesh to respect and uphold human rights, including as a top troop contributing country to United Nations peacekeeping missions.”
He continued, “We have taken note of the statements by the Bangladeshi authorities that UN-marked vehicles are no longer being deployed within Bangladesh. We remind and reiterate that UN troop- and police-contributing countries are to use UN insignia and equipment marked with the UN insignia only when they are performing mandated tasks as UN peacekeepers in the context of their deployment within a UN peacekeeping operation.”
In the following question and answer session, a journalist asked if the secretary general still feels comfortable with the people, who have been accused of using excessive force and violating human rights in Bangladesh, holding the UN flag to ensure peace in other countries.
In response, the spokesperson said, “It is clear for us that we count on Bangladesh and Bangladeshi troops that are serving in peacekeeping missions to uphold and respect human rights.”
Responding to another question on if the UN would extend help to Bangladesh to compensate for the losses suffered during the recent violence, the spokesperson said, “We are always ready to help any country to promote dialogue in a time of crisis. The UN is not involved in any compensation scheme for people who, sadly, lose property or family members during demonstrations anywhere in the world.”