On Haiti, UN Fetes Itself, Ignores Call for Cholera Indictment .

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 11 - While the UN congratulates itself on its reactions in Haiti, it dismisses all criticism, including from Haitian women's NGOs, and has refused so far to remove the diplomatic immunity (or impunity) of a UN staff members whom a Haitian judge wants to wonder about the hanging death of a Haitian teenager inside a UN base.

Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky on Tuesday whether Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will in fact revoke the exemption of UN interpreter Joelle Rozefort, in the type of the boy found hanged in the Nepali peacekeepers' camp in Cap Haitien. From the UN's transcript:

Inner City Press: there was a character some time ago of a boy that was found hung - a Haitian boy found hung in a Nepali base in Cap Haitien. Some say that Mr. Mulet has asked the Secretary-General to take the exemption of a national staff member there, Joelle Rozefort, so she can prove to a romance about this. Is that - one, has Mr. Mulet made the asking? But whether he has or not, is the Secretary-General considering removing the resistance of this staff member to reply to a court subpoena?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I`m aware of the incident you`re referring to in which individual was ground to have been hanged. And I believe we may be capable to allow you with a small bit more information on the interview that you`ve asked a small bit later.

But nine hours later, no information had been provided. The transcript continued:

Inner City Press: And only one other thing, maybe good for a response_

Spokesperson:Is this about Haiti?

Inner City Press: It is about Haiti. There`s a group there known as SOFA, the Solidarit des Femmes Hatiennes. They`ve recently, I suppose in connexion with, or somewhat before this one-year anniversary, they`ve said that - I guess, more explosively, they`ve asked the Government to somehow indict the UN for - they say - having brought cholera. But they`ve also raised this issue of compensation - so I wanted to make certain that the two things - can you, they`re saying that the UN should pay some recompense for - for cholera. That`s their claim. They`re a Haitian group, you can - so I think I only wish to know, what`s the UN response to that? Are they mindful of that call, and what`s their response?

Spokesman Nesirky [misidentified as "Motion" in Transcript] - As you know, the Secretary-General instituted a panel. Those four experts are working just to make the beginning of the outbreak of cholera, which has not been accomplished so far. That`s their job to do so, to the extent that they are capable to do so, and to report back to the Secretary-General and the Government of Haiti as quick as they can. And to go the following step beyond that is not very helpful at this point. There is a clean job to do, and that`s the job that the board has been asked to carry out as swiftly as possible, and in the meantime, of course, the key priority is to serve those people - you heard from Mr. [Nigel] Fisher yesterday about the death rates being lower, but still the act of cases being very high. So this is something that needs to be tackled as a priority.

Inner City Press [misidentified as Interpreter in transcript]: So I see that the board comes first. But I only need to know, I think maybe you can do this - does the idea, in the abstract, of compensation seem unreasonable to the UN? Depending on what it finds?

Spokesman Nesirky [misidentified as "Motion" in Transcript]: Look, I don`t - this is something that - let`s do things step-by-step. And the most significant matter is to aid those in need. You`ve heard extensively, not only from Mr. Fisher but most recently from Mr. Fisher, on that. And you also acknowledge that this - the four board members, experts each in their own right, are working hard to demonstrate exactly what the origin of the eruption was, if they are capable to do so. Okay. Thank you very much.

A few hours afterwards in the UN's North Lawn building, an issue was held about Haiti, sponsored by Canada's Mission to the UN and a trinity of NGOs. Canada's Permanent Representative John McNee sat on the board and spoke, but when the Q&A started, McNee left the board and took no questions, not yet about his country pulling out of Jacmel. In fact, Inner City Press was not allowed to ask any questions at all.

Meanwhile, an intrepid correspondent spotted Alain Le Roy in JFK Airport in New York on Tuesday morning seeking to fly American to Haiti for the anniversary. While others were unceremoniously booted from the flight, which also include Wyclef Jean, Le Roy remained on, leading some to inquire if despite the comparatively short distance he was flying first class. We'll see what he say while in Haiti - he said little of use from Cote d'Ivoire. Watch this site.