US embassy cable - 05DHAKA997

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000997 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE 
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, 
AND PASS TO USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON) 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45 
(MAJ NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: U.S. Human Rights Report on 
Bangladesh, Drug Trafficking; Dhaka 
Summary: A columnist in independent Bangla "Prothom Alo" 
criticizes the U.S. Human Rights Report as a document of 
hypocrisy and deceit. 
On the U.S. report on drug trafficking, centrist "News 
 
Today' says that only denial will not serve any good and 
urges the government to take measures so that Bangladesh is 
not used a transit point for drug trafficking. 
----------------------------------------- 
1. U.S. Human Rights Report on Bangladesh 
----------------------------------------- 
 
"Calling somebody a thief by his master for the crime he 
committed for him" 
An editorial page article in independent Bangla "Prothom 
Alo" by columnist Farhad Mazhar opines (3/7): 
The U.S. Human Rights Report has not been prepared 
independent of U.S. foreign policy; rather it is a document 
to determine the U.S. foreign policy.  Its objective is 
directly political...  In fact, it is a document showing 
whom the U.S. will attack, rebuke or criticize.  It is not 
at all a description of the state of human rights. 
That does not mean that the document has no truth.  Of 
course, there is truth.  I fully agree with the factual 
aspect of the document, but only a fool will judge the 
document on the basis of its facts.  The right way judge it 
is to read the whole document.  If Bangladesh is so serious, 
then what about India and Israel and what the U.S. said 
about them? Like Bangladesh's police and the RAB, Indian 
police are also often committing extrajudicial killings. 
They are equally efficient at killing in crossfire. 
Although India's situation is a hundred times more serious 
than that of Bangladesh, the U.S. State Department said, the 
government generally respected the human rights of its 
citizens; however, numerous serious problems remained. 
This means they are telling us, you are doing bad things, 
but we are not going to make trouble with you.  This reveals 
the hypocritical and deceitful aspect of the U.S. foreign 
policy.  It should be kept in mind that India is a big and 
hegemonic country.  There is a qualitative difference 
between its equation with India and its policy toward 
Bangladesh.  Bangladesh does not have the capability to 
speak against what the U.S. State Department says about 
Bangladesh.  India has that capability.  Therefore, what can 
be said about Bangladesh cannot be said about India or 
Israel. 
The government's human rights record has worsened and it is 
continuously violating human rights.  It is not something 
new.  The new fact is that the U.S. State Department has 
especially mentioned extrajudicial killing by the security 
forces.  It is an important aspect of the U.S. foreign 
policy toward Bangladesh. 
No human rights activist will accept indiscriminate killing 
in crossfire by the RAB.  So, the alliance government has 
lost the support of those who are active at home and abroad 
for the preservation of Bangladesh's interest and security. 
The mark of dishonor it has put on itself was for pleasing 
the U.S. and the EU nations.  The government wanted to show 
that it would deal terrorism with a heavy hand so that law 
and order improves and an atmosphere conducive for foreign 
investment is created.  But they forgot that public opinion 
on human rights in these countries play an important 
political role.  While reading the U.S. Human Rights Report, 
the alliance government might be saying to itself 'the 
master is calling me a thief for the crime I committed for 
him.' 
------------------- 
2. Drug Trafficking 
------------------- 
"US report on drug trafficking" 
Centrist English language newspaper "News Today" editorially 
comments (3/7): 
As if we don_ft have enough problems that regularly attract 
attention of the world community, the United States 
Department of State on Saturday released a report strongly 
criticizing our government_fs anti-drug trafficking efforts. 
The finger, as ill luck would have it, points at 
_gcorruption at all levels of the government, particularly 
in the law enforcement agencies._h... What shocks us is that 
part of the report, which refers to _gunsubstantiated_h 
reports about opium and cannabis cultivation in Bandarban 
area of the Chittagong Hills Tracts. Overall it paints 
Bangladesh as a 
Transit point for drug trafficking for the region and puts 
the blame, firstly, on the long porous border and then on 
Corruption.  About the newly formed Anti-corruption 
Commission (ACC), the report says: "Serious questions remain 
about the Commission's ability and commitment to operate 
freely and independently." 
 
The Department of Narcotics Control has denied that opium 
is being cultivated in some areas. This sounds reasonable 
but the DNC would do well to ensure that no such 
cultivation takes place in future also. There must be a 
constant vigil and the government also owes it to the 
people to spare them of the repeated stigma of attracting 
world attention for wrong reasons. However loud our denials 
are, the reality is reports released by the US State 
Department or agencies like the Transparency International, 
Amnesty International etc. fall on receptive ears around 
the globe. The ACC should also take note of it and prepare 
for going the extra mile that will be necessary to 
establish its credibility. 
 
Thomas