US envoy concerned over contempt of HRW
The United States and China world’s two super powers, have called for dialogue between the ruling party and opposition to resolve the political crises with respect to upcoming general elections in the country. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jun has said that he tried to organise a face-to-face negotiation between the ruling Awami League and opposition BNP for resolving the current political impasse in the country.
Stressing the need for such negotiation between the leaders of the two top political parties, he said his efforts would continue to get them to the negotiating table.
It is for the first time the Chinese officials making comments on the internal affairs of Bangladesh.
“As to the current political situation in Bangladesh, I can tell you that I have already made my efforts and I will continue to make my efforts to push for a negotiation between the two parties,” the ambassador told a press conference on Wednesday through an interpreter when asked if there would be any Chinese initiative to organise a face-to-face dialogue.
When asked about the partie’s response to such face-to-face-dialogue, he said, “I have a strong feeling that both need to exchange goodwill between them and take measures for mutual confidence building. I think only through that it will lead consensus and finally to an agreement.” The press conference at the Radisson Hotel was organised to brief journalists on the activities of Chinese naval hospital ship, Peace Ark. Rear Admiral Shen Hao, the mission chief, also attended the briefing.
“When I came here last year I found that there was a need for conference between the two parties. I will do my best,” Ambassador Jun told some reporters after the briefing.
In his opening statement, he said: “When I go out I am always asked these days what you think about Bangladesh’s political situation. As a close and traditional friend and neighbour to Bangladesh, China has been paying great attention to the situation in Bangladesh. We expect Bangladesh enjoys stability and development.”
Both parties share many common grounds, he said, adding that both parties wanted the next general elections to be credible, transparent and participatory.
“Now, they are disagreeing on how to conduct the general elections. I think it is normal to have disagreement,” he added.
“I think it would be of great help if the two party leaders talk to each other face-to-face. And in order to achieve this face-to-face dialogue I hope both parties express their goodwill towards each other. It is better not to have any aggressive action against each other,” he said. But, he stressed that the resolution of the disputes was in the hands of Bangladeshi
people and the politicians and people of the country have the wisdom to do that.
Asked if his remarks were a deviation from the Chinese traditional policy of not making statement on the internal political situation in Bangladesh, the Ambassador replied in the negative.
“You just said whether my comment is a shift from the Chinese policy on Bangladesh. My answer is no. Because China has always been hoping that the situation in Bangladesh will be stable. Only that way Bangladesh can develop further. We know that stability is important for development,” he said.
Admiral Hao detailed the activities of the Peace Ark and said that the ship came with a mission to spread the message of love, peace and harmony in the region.
Replying to a question relating to establishment of influence in the region with particular reference to the United States, he said, “We are not competing with any country.”
Meanwhile, the US ambassador in Dhaka Dan W Mozena on Wednesday reiterated his call for dialogue between the two rival groups.
“Dialogue among the major political parties is the main way out of this crisis,” Mozena said while talking to the newsmen after the closing ceremony of a US-Bangladesh joint exercise on disaster response programme at a local hotel.
He hopes that Bangladesh would be able to find a solution through constructive dialogue.“ I have full confidence that Bangladesh would do this and hold a credible general election.”
However, he expressed deep concern over the contempt petition against a US based human right organisation at the International Crime Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh.
“We are deeply concerned over the matter as the organisation has a long tradition of dealing with human right issues,” he said while talking to the journalists. The US ambassador pointed out that the Human Right Watch is also a very efficient organisation in the field of human right movement.
The prosecution on Tuesday submitted a contempt petition against the US based international human right organisation, Human Rights Watch (HRW) at the ICT for raising questions about the verdict against Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Prof. Ghulam Azam.
The closing ceremony was also addressed by the minister for disaster management and relief Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali MP Lt. Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq, principle staff officer of armed forces division and Major general Darrell Moore of US pacific command.
Mahmood Ali said the US-Bangladesh joint exercise on disaster management would help Bangladesh a lot as there was no preparation in the country for facing earthquake disaster.
-With The Independent input
