UN 'rights' director resigns over policy

Theodoor van Boven, director of the United Nations human rights division, said he is resigning after ''major differences of policy'' with the UN leadership. The Dutch diplomat did not specify his differences with the UN Secretariat.

Mr. Van Boven told the Commission on Human Rights that it is necessary ''to speak out on matters of principle, regardless of whom we displease.'' Delegation sources believed van Boven had run into criticism from Latin American countries after telling the commission that mass killings were still taking place in El Salvador and Guatemala.