Min. of Def.,Justice and Security Response to recent Article in the Sunday Standard on Botswana at the 13thRegular Session of the Human Rights Council

source: Republic of Botswana (14/3/10) TAUTONA TIMES no 4 of 2010
The Electronic Press Circular of the Office of the President
"Democracy, Development, Dignity, Discipline and Delivery"


C5) 11/3/10: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, JUSTICE AND SECURITY RESPONSE TO RECENT ARTICLE IN THE SUNDAY STANDARD ON BOTSWANA AT THE 13TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN GENEVA.

Please find below Press Release from the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security, responding to a recent article in the Sunday Standard newspaper entitled "World Human Rights Conference puts Botswana on the spotlight"

START OF PRESS RELEASE

The Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security wishes to respond to the article which appeared in the Sunday Standard of 7 - 13 March, 2010 entitled "World Human Rights Conference puts Botswana on the spotlight" written by Gowenius Toka.

The article is not only false but also misleading as the Minister for Defence, Justice and Security, Hon. Dikgakgamatso N. Seretse, never answered any questions at any time during the Council Session about Botswana human rights.

The purpose of this rebuttal is to draw attention to this gross journalistic irresponsibility on the part of the Sunday Standard writer, and indeed the publication itself. We note that such outrageous journalism is as unhelpful as is mischievous and has the potential to tarnish the image of our country abroad.

In the article, Toka attempts to depict a scenario that never was, with an unfortunate extreme anxiety to portray a negative spin on the human rights record of Botswana. The writer peddles unfounded assertions that the Minister came under pressure from the Human Rights Council in answering to some fantasy questions. It is doubtful that the writer or any of his sources were in Geneva attending the same Council.

The Ministry wishes to put the record straight and clarify the misconceptions and misguided innuendos contained in the said article by stating the following:

* Minister Seretse attended the High Level Segment (HLS) of the 13th Session of the UN Human Rights Council from the 1st to 7th March, 2010.

* The Minister was accompanied by the Botswana Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Boometswe Mokgothu and Mr Augustine N. Makgonatsotlhe, Secretary for Defence, Justice and Security.

* Minister Seretse delivered a national statement to the Council, copies of which were distributed to all media houses including the Sunday Standard newspaper on the day the Minister made his statement.

* The HLS affords an opportunity to dignitaries of the UN Member States to brief the Council on the Human Rights situations in own countries and address any other Human Rights issues.

* The HLS is not a "Question and Answer Session" Minister Seretse never had any questions to respond to during his presentation to the plenary of the Council.

* Nobody questioned nor criticised Botswana Human Rights record.

* The Human Rights Council does not hold interactive dialogue with dignitaries during the HLS.

* It is a flawed and disingenuous assertion that "there is obviously mounting pressure on Botswana to comply with certain international best practice in human rights" as alleged in the Sunday Standard article.

* There is no connection between the CEDAW Committees consideration of Botswana's report in January 2010 and the visit by the Special Rapportuer James Anaya, as the writer attempts to draw a correlation.

* It is erroneous and entirely misleading to submit that the President of the Council urged participants to freely discuss all subjects, particularly those on which contrary viewpoints existed.

* To the contrary, the venerable declaration should be attributable to Hon. Seretse who prodded the UN member states to be forbearing during deliberation on all issues.

The Ministry calls upon members of the private media to research and ask relevant persons or authorities on the subject matter they wish to write about before they go ahead and write misleading and misguided articles in newspapers and journals which are read by the wider public.