China stalls move to announce Masood Azhar as global terrorist ! ~ when did that all began ?

Alexandre Ziegler, French Envoy to India reiterated on pushing designation of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohhamed (JeM) Masood Azhar as global terrorist at UNSC. “We believe there should be no tolerance of terror. So yes we will push for designation of Masood Azhar as global terrorist, at UNSC, have been pushing for it for past 2 years as well.  .. .. that sounded good for India ~ but sadly that was only a beginning that did not end well !

Whilst some Indian politicians still are on denial mode – immediately after the gruesome killing, Masood Azhar-led JeM claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack.  Globally they acknowledge him to be a terror, but our own Congress Chief calls him ji.   News from Washington confirmed that : US, UK, France  proposed move to designate Azhar as global terrorist; though  China has repeatedly blocked moves to ban him claiming lack of evidence.  Masood Azhar meets the criteria to be designated as a global terrorist and not doing so is against regional stability and peace, the US said on Tuesday, a day ahead of the crucial meeting at UN Security Council on the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief.

On 13 March 2019, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities enacted the amendments specified with underline and strikethrough in the entry below on its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2368 (2017), and adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee (officially Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities) was established on 15 October 1999, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1267. Initially dealing with both al-Qaeda and the Taliban, hence previously known as the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, it was split on 17 June 2011, creating the new Taliban Sanctions Committee to separately deal with the Taliban.

The Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee is one of three Security Council committees dealing with counter-terrorism.  .. .. all that came to naught as China baulked .. in yet  another setback to India's bid to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, China on 13.3.2019  put a technical hold on a proposal in the UN Security Council to ban him following the Pulwama terror attack. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 44 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan.The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members had 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end at 3 PM local time (New York) on 13^th Mar 2019.

The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. The Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. All eyes were on China, which has in the past blocked India's bids to get Azhar listed as a UN-designated global terrorist thrice and China acted to protect its friend Pakistan – Imran Khan is the best PM according to some who would never realise the problems created by terrorism from the hotbed of Paksitan.

United Nations Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

There are Five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly (with end of term year): - Belgium (2020); Côte d’Ivoire (2019);  Dominican Republic (2020); Equatorial Guinea (2019); Germany (2020); Indonesia (2020); Kuwait (2019); Peru (2019); Poland (2019)& South Africa (2020)

…… .. /.  // ..  and if you are not finding India in this list, we have only ourselves to blame !  the  issue of India’s right to a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a controversial one; but it is not new. The historical controversy has centred on the culpability of independent India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in not seizing several alleged opportunities for India to join the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member in the 1950s. Nehru’s critics, would certainly  accuse him of sacrificing India’s national interest on dubious grounds of international morality.  More so, as he fought for the right of  People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the beginning of the Cold War.

Jawaharlal Nehru "declined a United States offer" to India to "take the permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council" around 1953 and suggested that it be given to China, according to the United Nations Under-Secretary General, Sashi Tharoor. In his latest book, "Nehru — The Invention of India," Mr. Tharoor writes that Indian diplomats who have seen files swear that Nehru declined the offer about the same time as he turned down "with scorn" John Foster Dulles' support for an Indian Monroe Doctrine. Nehru had suggested that the seat, till then held by Taiwan, be offered to Beijing instead. He wrote that "the seat was held with scant credibility by Taiwan."  Source the Hindu 2004.  (Sashi Tharoor on Nehru & China)

Way back in 1950s,  India (the ruling Congress Govt)  was a strong advocate that PRC be admitted to the UN and that it take China’s seat as permanent member at the Security Council, which was at that time occupied by the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was Jawaharlal Nehru who advocated PRC’s case and . .. .. and ..  China has always played it against India !! ~ fault lies not in them but in those who backed them mindlessly.  Some believe that this was Nehru’s ploy to appease Mao in light of increasing acrimony between India and PRC in the 1950s.  some say that it was Nehru’s misplaced enthusiasm for Asian solidarity, where he saw India and the PRC as being fellow travelers in the broader historical journey, led to him supporting the PRC. It was a callous mindless decision that continues to haunt the Nation. .. .. Chinese duly returned the favour by waging a war against India !

~ that was diplomacy / forethought / vision of erstwhile ruling dynasty.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

14^th Mar 2019.