14133: Arthur Re: 14003: Metropole report on UNHRC Haiti remarks (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Tttnhm@aol.com

A "well-placed source" told Max Blanchet:
<< The United Nations in Geneva denies that such statements were made and that
an interview was given to the journalist. The UN High Commissioner was
speaking
in a public press briefing mostly about the situation in East Timor (this
includes the remarks about the press and about the International Court). He
had only one short and very general answer to a question about Haiti. I
expect that Radio Metropole will rectify.>>


I am not at all clear about this. Did Sergio Vieira de Mello, head of the UN
Human Rights Commission, say the things he is supposed to have said about
Haiti or not? Did Jean-Edouard Rigaud, Radio Metropole's correspondent at the
UN in Geneva or his editors in Haiti play fast and loose with the comments
and their context, or not? I have seen a transcript of an interview of de
Mello by Rigaud and another journalist in which de Mello answered at least
three questions about Haiti, but these answers did not contain the bit about
Lavalas Family leaders being under observation and the risk of later being
being prosecuted in the International Criminal Court - the part that has
since been bandied about all over the media. What is going on? Was there or
wasn't there an interview, and what was actually said? Were remarks about
East Timor at a press briefing deliberately inserted into a report about
Haiti? Will we get to the bottom of this....or what?...Greg, I am sure you
will be able to explain?

Charles Arthur