Sigma Huda is a Bangladeshi Human Rights expert, accredited as a special rapporteur by the UN. About a month ago, she was refused exit from Bangladesh, by that country's government, on the grounds that she constituted a "security risk for Bangladesh as she may give statements detrimental to this Government".
Translation: Sigma Hude knows a thing or two about human rights - specfically people trafficking. She was planning to speak at an international conference on human rights. The Government of Bangladesh believed she might have a few adverse comments to make about their record. Thus, the government of Bangladesh acted to prevent her from reporting those deficiencies to the UN.
At first glance, this is merely a candidate for the "Top 10 Cack-handed government news management initiatives" somewhere down the bottom of the list beneath Jo Moore. But it becomes more troubling when one realises that Bangladesh is a member of the United Nations "Pots calling Kettles Black" Council, otherwise known as the Human Rights Council.
And to bring the whole matter to a crescendo of outrage, the official UN response is... nothing.
Over a month ago, independent oversight group UN Watch proposed that the UN Secretary General might, if it wasn't too much trouble, politely ask the other members of the HRC's Asian and Islamic groups if they wouldn't mind enquiring whether Bangladesh, being a member of the HRC and all, might not just possibily see its way clear to possibly letting the UN's special rapporteur on human rights express her views on human rights.
No word yet from Ban Ki-Moon...
