Kyrgyzstan refugee move angers United Nations

[struggle4progress]

BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan said on Monday it intended to hand back 15 Uzbek refugees to Uzbekistan, sparking a warning from United Nations officials who fear for their safety that it would be in breach of international law.

Uzbekistan weighed in, angrily denouncing a UN airlift of 440 Uzbek refugees last week from Kyrgyzstan to Europe as “outrageous interference.” The 15, all but four of whom have UN refugee status, were the last ones remaining from several hundred Uzbeks who fled their Central Asian country in a bloody government crackdown in the town of Andizhan in May.

The 440 were flown out to Europe only after the UN and human rights groups overcame Kyrgyz objections to them leaving. “We propose to hand the remaining 15 people to the Uzbek side,” Deputy Prosecutor General Nurlan Dzheenaliyev told a news conference. “The prosecutor general’s position was clear from the very beginning, and we will stand our ground.” Prosecutors in the impoverished state, which has to balance relations with powerful ex-Soviet allies while forging new ties with the West, say refugees held in the Kyrgyz town of Osh are “common criminals”. UN and human rights groups fear that, if handed back, the 15 could face torture or execution in their homeland, one of the harshest states in the region.

Swiftly reacting, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned Kyrgyz authorities they could be in breach of international law on refugees since 11 of the 15 had official refugee status. <snip>

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-8-2005_pg4_23

[bribri16]

1. Bush has made it clear that international law doesn't not count.

So why should any other nation pay attention? The US and Israel violate international law on a daily basis and nothing is ever said about it much less done about it.

[madrchsod]

2. super john to the recuse!

he`ll clean this little matter up the bolton way-he`ll kick their goddam office door in and scream at them!

[struggle4progress]

3. Naw. His first priority is the US base. He'll ignore this. eom