Ban's bad timing

Posted By Colum Lynch Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - 10:26 PM Share

In the rarified world of international diplomacy, timing is everything.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stumbled into his five-country Central Asia trip this week at the worst possible time. The Republic of Kyrgyzstan, a key stop on the tour, erupted into chaos, leaving Ban helplessly calling for restraint from the sidelines.

Ban is "shocked by the reported deaths and injuries that have occurred in Kyrgyzstan," his spokesman said hours after the country ignited into violence Thursday. "He urgently calls for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed."

No one has suggested Ban's visit had anything to do with the political ferment in Bishkek, or that he served as an inspiration for the opposition. But the point of Ban's trip -- to raise concerns about poverty, human rights and environmental degradation -- will probably get a bit lost in the fog of violence.

The secretary-general's top political advisor, B. Lynn Pascoe, recently underscored the risks that unforeseen political crises can have on his boss's diplomatic objectives. Pascoe told reporters last month that he had breathed a sigh of relief that North Korea had cancelled plans for a potentially uncomfortable high-level U.N. trip to North Korea on the eve of Pyongyang's decision to launch a series of provocative actions. "Thankfully," the trip was cancelled, he said, "because that was the week they did the missile test."

Only four days ago, Ban was holding court with Kyrgyzstan's president, Kurmanbek Bakiev and Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov, the two leaders reportedly toppled in Wednesday's uprising. The trip provided a perfect set piece for Ban to burnish his record on human rights, an area where he has been long criticized for going soft on despots.

Human-rights advocates have generally credited Ban with striking the right note in his meetings with Kyrgyz leaders. "All who believe in the United Nations understand that security has many dimensions," Ban told parliamentarians. "It starts with people. Respect for the rights of all people. For the U.N., the protection of human rights is a bedrock principle if a country is to prosper. Quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, recent events have been troubling, including the last few days. I repeat: All human rights must be protected, including free speech and freedom of the media."

But perhaps Ban also recognized that Kyrgyzstan was ready for change after five years of rule by Bakiev's government. "I have learned that the Kyrgyz people possess a questing spirit, always looking to the next mountain, always with an eye on the farthest horizon," he said in his address to parliament.