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SOUTH ASIA: UN Peacekeeping Pushes Democracy Back Home

Rita Manchanda

NEW DELHI, Sep 10 2008 (IPS) - The lure of serving in the United Nations peace keeping operations, where soldiers have a chance to take home four times the pay and allowances they normally make in this region, can act as a deterrent against gross human rights violations by such troop contributors as Nepal and Bangladesh.

South Asian countries are among the top six contributors of the 110,000 soldiers deployed in 17 missions.

In recent years there has been media glare on allegations of criminality against blue helmets accused of involvement in trading guns for gold and sexual exploitation of women and children. Accompanying these are insinuations of investigations being halted so as not to alienate large troop contributors.

However, there has been a carryover effect of the U.N.’s ‘zero tolerance policy’ on human rights abuse, making authorities at home responsive to the call for disciplinary action of errant peacekeepers.

“I think they (army) would think twice or thrice before engaging in (anti-democratic) adventurism. I think it would have a deterrent effect,” says Prof. C.R. Abrar of Dhaka University.

South Asia’s footprint in peacekeeping is substantial, contributing 43 percent of all U.N. troops, according to 2007 figures. Pakistan tops the list at 10,173. Bangladesh is second at 9,675, followed by India with 9,471. Nepal has about 3,628 personnel in peace keeping.

Currently, the U.N. reimburses governments 100 US dollars per peacekeeper per month for pay, 68 dollars for clothing gear, equipment and five dollars for personal weaponry, in addition to other generous allowances and perks. There is 303 dollars supplementary pay for specialists and upwards of 2,200 dollars a month for an officer. For most it is the opportunity to make the savings of a lifetime. Bangladesh, it is estimated, earns 200 million dollars a year in peacekeeping.

National governments determine what actually will be paid. In Nepal, a case is before the Supreme Court for outstanding dues to be paid to peacekeepers.

Also, U.N. payments to peacekeepers are heavily in arrears. In May 2007, India’s defence ministry informed parliament that 228.99 million dollars were due in arrears.

Nonetheless, South Asian armies have a substantive stake in not disrupting their peacekeeping roles. Consequently, in Bangladesh and Nepal, human rights groups, national and international, have leveraged the attractions of U.N. peacekeeping to halt human rights abuses.

Abrar believes that “a role abroad has discouraged the army from meddling in politics at home”. Bangladesh has a history of military coups and dictatorships, the latest being in January 2007 when an emergency was imposed, democratic elections suspended, and a military-backed caretaker government supported by western donors installed. The military was cautious in not directly taking over power.

According to the eminent Bangladesh journalist Afsan Chowdhury, “there is credible evidence to indicate that before the Bangladesh army backed the ‘coup’ in 2007, it obtained some kind assurance from the U.N. Secretary General that it would not be ‘punished’ for ‘playing saviour’ against international terrorism. Dhaka at the time was full of reports of growing anarchy and western diplomats were anxious that the al-Qaeda was taking advantage of the turbulent situation.

Before the emergency was imposed, intense diplomatic activity, including the good offices of an influential Bangladeshi lawyer, was used to convince Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and a face-saving device was the setting up of a proxy, civilian caretaker government.

Earlier, in 2006, gross human rights abuses by the Rapid Action Battalion combating urban crime prompted the Asian Human Rights Commission to write to U.N. Peacekeeping operations head Jean Marie Guehnno, “to drop Bangladesh peacekeepers”.

The human rights campaign linking human rights abuses at home and U.N. peacekeeping opportunities abroad has gained momentum in Nepal with the Office of the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner in February 2006 calling for the exclusion of Nepali soldiers accused of human rights violations. “Nepal’s security forces must hold accountable perpetrators of violations within their ranks, who should be excluded from participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations,” said OCHR head Ian Martin.

Nepal for 10 years was caught in an armed revolutionary struggle resulting in gross human rights violations. In 2004-5 it topped the list for ‘disappearances’. Following the ‘king’s coup’ in 2005, the use of excessive force against protestors was reported by Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbor to U.N. Peacekeeping Operations.

Is it possible to have zero tolerance abroad without zero tolerance at home? Indian human rights activist Gautam Navlakha says the policy may have ‘’some deterrent effect on smaller nations (such as Nepal and Bangladesh), but it’s had no impact on India, or even Pakistan.’’