The UN human rights chief has called for an immediate end to US military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that are allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America.<\/p>\n
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk deemed the strikes “unacceptable” and called for an investigation into them, in what appeared to mark the first such condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organisation.<\/p>\n
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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker T\u00fcrk has called for an investigation into the US military strikes in the Caribbean Sea. (AP: Salvatore Di Nolfi)<\/p>\n
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for T\u00fcrk’s office, relayed his message at a UN briefing on Friday: “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The US must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”<\/p>\n
She said Mr T\u00fcrk believed “airstrikes by the United States of America on boats in the Caribbean and in the Pacific violate international human rights law”.<\/p>\n
Trump justifies attacks as anti-drug campaign\u00a0<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump has justified the attacks on the boats as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.<\/p>\n
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday the latest US military strike in the campaign, against a boat he said was carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n
All four people aboard were killed.<\/p>\n
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The USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has been ordered by Donald Trump to the Caribbean. (Reuters: Lise Aaserud)<\/p>\n
It was the 14th strike since the campaign began in early September, and took the death toll to at least 61.<\/p>\n