 FOR years the United Nations attempted to cover up perverted and outrageous behaviour by uniformed and civilian personnel who have served in East Timor since 1999. But as a new wave of more than 2000 UN-employed police and staff prepare to travel to the capital Dili, Sukehiro Hasegawa, the top UN official in East Timor, has acknowledged for the first time that the UN system failed to bring anyone to justice for crimes that included sex abuse of children and bestiality.
| “...the UN system failed to bring anyone to justice for crimes that included sex abuse of children and bestiality...” |
Dr Hasegawa declared that the UN's Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT), which became operational on Monday, would enforce a "zero tolerance" policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse committed by UN personnel. He said several UN staff would be employed solely to enforce the policy, which will include briefings for all staff.
| ... and slide shows, when the come with the interesting cases... |
Dr Hasegawa, a special representative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, said the UN "places a great deal of importance" on efforts to prevent the abuse of East Timorese by any of 1608 international police, including 130 Australians, 34 military liaison officers and about 500 civilian staff who will make up the mission.
| “... in 2001, two Jordanian soldiers were evacuated home with injured penises after attempting sexual intercourse with goats...” |
Among deeply religious East Timorese, the behaviour of a small number of the 18,000 UN personnel from 113 countries who have served in East Timor was spoken about only in whispers. But the UN establishment in New York was shocked when it received an internal report last month exposing a culture that covered up behaviour that enraged many UN staff, several of whom resigned in disgust. The report revealed that peacekeepers left behind at least 20 babies they had fathered to Timorese women who are now stigmatised and in some cases ostracised by their communities. It revealed that one UN peacekeeper from an unnamed country sexually abused two boys and two girls in the enclave of Oecussi, and in 2001, two Jordanian soldiers were evacuated home with injured penises after attempting sexual intercourse with goats.
| “The UN Security Council urged countries sending personnel to East Timor to conduct pre-deployment awareness training about sexual exploitation and abuse...” |
"Aaaaaiiiieeee! My doinker!"
"Mahmoud, you idiot! Here! Let me show you how to do it!... Aaaaaiiiiieeee!" |
A resolution passed last Friday by the UN Security Council urged countries sending personnel to East Timor to conduct pre-deployment awareness training about sexual exploitation and abuse of the local population. It also urged countries to "take disciplinary action and other action to ensure full accountability in cases of such conduct involving their personnel". The 15-member Security Council established UNMIT for an initial six months "with the intention to renew for further periods" after violence erupted in Dili in April and May. |
