After
Ban Ki-moon
Mis-Uses UN
Press Briefing
Room For
Korean-Only
Campaign
Event, ICP
Pursues
By Matthew
Russell Lee,
Follow up on
Exclusives
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
20 --
In a new low
for the UN,
Ban Ki-moon on
December 20
held a “closed
meeting” in
the UN Press
Briefing Room,
at noon, with
only Korean
media. When
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's - and
now Ban's
successor's -
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric for a
transcript,
Dujarric
refused to
provide it. Video here.
When asked of
the UN General
Assembly
resolution
that says
former
Secretaries
General should
not be offered
or seek
government
positions,
Dujarric had
an if-asked
answer ready,
that the UNGA
resolution is
not binding.
(In the same
briefing,
Dujarric
confirmed
Inner City
Press'
exclusive that
the UN in Iraq
"lost" 25
guns.
See here.)
Inner City
Press asked if
the other
candidates for
South Korea's
presidency
could use the
UN and its
Press Briefing
Room - from
which Ban's
Dujarric threw
Inner City
Press out
earlier this
year -- and
Dujarric
called it
hypothetical.
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you first
about the use
of the room
prior to the
noon
briefing.
I saw a sign,
"closed
meeting."
It seems clear
it was used…
or you tell me
if it's wrong,
but for Korean
media
exclusively.
I wanted to
know, first,
can we get a
transcript?
Second, was
anything said
that's
relevant to
the run for… a
possible run
for presidency
in South Korea
by Mr.
Ban?
And what are
the… what are
the… I guess,
how is it
appropriate?
If you once
said that
Francois
Hollande
trying to
limit the
briefing room
to only French
journalists
was wrong, how
is it right in
this case?
Spokesman:
Well,
obviously, I
think during
the General
Assembly, we
try to keep
this press
room as open
as
possible.
The press
briefing room
was used for a
group
interview by
the
Secretary-General,
because it was
the best place
to do it,
given the size
of the number
of
participants.
We're not in
the habits of
sharing
transcripts of
other people's
interviews
before
publication.
That's just an
ethical
position that
we have.
ICP
Question:
It said
"closed
meeting".
When you went
to the
webcast, it
said "Noon
Briefing," and
then you
clicked it,
and it said
"closed
meeting," so
is that…
Spokesman:
Well, that's
just… it's
just a use of
the
room.
And we just
didn't want…
ICP
Question:
Why not
release the
transcript?
I guess I'm
saying… can
you answer…
Spokesman:
Because as a
matter of… at
least the
journalism I
learned, as a
matter of
basic
journalism
ethics, we
don't release
transcripts of
other people's
interviews
before they
publish them.
ICP
Question:
John Kerry
releases…
releases… they
do it all the
time. I
guess my
question is,
after these…
after 24
hours, will
you release
it? Just
so we can know
whether the
room was used
to campaign
for the
President of
South Korea?
Spokesman:
I think you
will read
probably soon
everything
that your
colleagues may
have written.
...
Inner City
Press: if the
other named
candidates, if
they wanted to
use UN
premises for
their press
conference,
could they…?
Spokesman:
It's a
completely
hypothetical
question.
The door said
“Closed
meeting,”
unlike on
January 29,
2016 when
Dujarric came
into the room
and told Inner
City Press to
leave, he had
“lent” it to a
group of
journalists.
Inner City
Press called
and calls that
a bad
precedent,
allowing the
UN
spokesperson
to pick and
choose which
journalists
can be in the
briefing room.
But for
waiting until
a guard said
to leave,
Inner City
Press was
thrown in the
street and had
its longtime
office
evicted, being
given to an
Egyptian state
media Akhbar
al Yom whose
correspondent
Sanaa Youssef
rarely comes
in and never
asks a
question. (Her
claim to space
is only that
she was
long-ago
president of
the group
Dujarric
“lent” the UN
Press Briefing
Room to on
January 29).
The use of
“Closed
Meeting” for
Ban Ki-moon's
campaign event
on December 20
is an
admission that
the sign
should have
been up on
January 29. So
will Dujarric
do the
obvious,
before
spreading this
censorship
past Ban
Ki-moon? We'll
see.
Inner
City Press
asked
Dujarric,
since he'd
said French
President
Francois
Hollande
trying to
restrict the
briefing room
only to French
journalists
was wrong, why
is it OK for
Ban Ki-moon?
Dujarric
answer was
that during
the General
Debate week,
he tries to
keep the
briefing room
open. We'll
have more on
this - and on
Ban Ki-moon's
mis-use of the
UN for his
campaign.
In South
Korea, Park
Geun-hye has
now been
impeached for
extorting tens
of millions of
dollars from
businesses in
conspiracy
with Choi
Soon-sil. And
now even while
still UN
Secretary
General, Ban
has ratcheted
up his
criticism of
Park, while
remaining
silent on
guilty
verdicts
against UN
system
officials. Video
here.
While Ban
Ki-moon has
been presented
as a successor
or now
alternative,
his open
practice of
nepotism while
UN Secretary
General, and
the Ng Lap
Seng UN
bribery
scandal in
which Ban's
Secretariat
sold documents
then evicted
the Press
which asked
about it, may
hamper Ban's
ambitions. Ban's
fast "Note"
here.
After
evading
questions
about his
nephew Bahn
Joohyun a/k/a
Dennis Bahn
who worked at
UN landlord
Colliers and
is said to
have used Ban
Ki-moon's name
to try to sell
real estate,
Ban went on
this year to
promote his
own son in law
Siddarth
Chatterjee to
the top UN job
in Kenya,
without even
recusing
himself.
Have
candidates
Moon Jae-in,
Lee Jae-myeung
or Ahn
Cheol-so done
anything like
this?
Inner City
Press:
Secretary-General,
after his
press
conference
here on
Friday, he
spoke at CFR
(Council on
Foreign
Relations),
and it's… it's
described in
The Korea
Herald as… as…
as ratcheting
up criticism
of President
Park
[Geun-hye].
So I wanted to
ask for your
response to
it.
Basically, it
says… it has
quotes that I…
that the South
Korean people
are very much
frustrated and
angry about
the complete
lack of good
governance.
They believe
the trust and
leadership of
the country
was
betrayed.
So is this… is
it accurate to
call this a
ratcheting up
of criticism
of President
Park?
Spokesman:
The analysis I
leave up to
you and
members of the
media.
ICP
Question:
Right.
Here's a
question.
Do you have
any… so a
related
question.
Today, the
head of the
IMF
(International
Monetary
Fund),
Christine
Lagarde, was
found guilty
of misuse of
public
funds.
Do you have
any… does the
Secretary-General
have any
comment on a
UN
international
system figure
being found
guilty of
misuse of
funds?
Spokesman:
Not at this
time. I
just saw the
story as I was
walking in
here.
Hours
later, no
comment.
On D
Add to this
Ban's brother
Ki-ho mining
in war zones
in Myanmar,
after being
reported by a
Myanmar
government
website as
being linked
to a “UN
delegation” to
the country,
and the three
strikes and
you're out
threshold has
been
reached.
But there's
more! There
are sisters
Ban Jeong-ran
and Ban
Gyeong-hee
a/k/a Ban
Kyung-hee and
younger
brother Ban
Ki-sang,
Dennis'
father: “Ban
Ki-sang, his
father and
younger
brother of the
UN
secretary-general,
worked for
Keangnam
Enterprises as
a senior
adviser for
seven years
and is known
to have
recommended
the
construction
company
appoint
Colliers
International
as the
exclusive
agency for the
building’s
sale in 2013.”
We'll have
more on this.
Now that
“shaman-gate”
has driven
President Park
to being
impeached,
-
her
once-presumed
successor Ban
Ki-moon has
had his own
shamans during
his tenure at
the UN, see
below. Now
with his hope,
the reason he
used the UN
and engaged in
censorship,
slipping
through his
fingers on
December 6
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric,
UN Transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: There's
a rumour in
South Korea
that one of
the reasons
President Park
[Geun-hye]…
and you'll…
I'm getting to
it just as a
factual
question… that
one of the
reasons that
there's some
delay in this
resignation or
impeachment is
to give time
for Ban
Ki-moon to
run. I
don't expect
you to comment
on that, but
part of this
rumour is that
Ban Ki-moon
will return to
South Korea on
21 December as
part of his
vacation and
may somewhat
get involved.
Spokesman:
No. No.
ICP
Question:
Is he going
back or not?
Spokesman:
No, the
Secretary-General
will not be
going back to
Korea.
He finishes
his term until
31
December.
He will be, as
he has said,
return… plans
to return to
Korea
mid-January.
He will
definitely not
be back on 21
December.
On November
29, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner
City Press:
about South
Korea and his
statement that
he's deeply
humbled by the
protests.
So I wanted to
know, now that
he's actually
speaking about
this,
President Park
[Guen-hye] has
said that
she's willing
to
resign.
There's an
enormous
standoff.
Farhan [Haq],
in your
absence, said
that he's
following it
closely.
So, as he
would in other
countries, do
you have some
kind of a… I
don't want to
say a canned
statement, but
what is his
view on the
current state
of play in
South Korea,
both as it
relates to his
own possible
things but
also just as
Secretary-General…?
[Cross talk]
Spokesman:
I think Farhan
already… we've
answered the
question.
I think he has
no particular
comment as
Secretary-General.
He's expressed
his opinion
more as a
Korean
citizen, as
someone who
obviously
loves his
country.
And, as he
said, he has
full
confidence in
the resilience
and maturity
of the
democratic
institutions
in Korea, as
well as the
unity, wisdom
and the
ability of the
Korean people
to build on
their proud
history.
Inner City
Press:
And The Korea
Times quoted a
source saying
that he will
return
sometime
between
January 22nd
and January
25th. It
seems pretty
specific.
So I just
want…
Spokesman:
My
understanding
is… as he told
me, in fact,
this morning,
is that he
probably plans
to go home
around the
middle of
January.
In terms of
this seemingly
impending run,
consider for
example Ban's
dropping of
the Saudi-led
Coalition from
the UN's
Children and
Armed Conflict
annex for
killing
children in
Yemen. There
was an
American
whispering in
Ban's ear,
multiple
sources tell
Inner City
Press.
More
publicly, UN
Special
Rapporteur
Philip Alston
has said that
it was the US
government and
Mission to the
UN which boxed
Ban entirely
into not
paying a penny
for the UN
killing over
10,000 people
in Haiti with
cholera. No
answer from
the shamans.
Faced with
evidence of UN
Peacekeeping
failures in
the Central
African
Republic and
South Sudan,
instead of
firing Herve
Ladsous, the
fourth
Frenchman in a
row atop DPKO,
Ban fired
officials from
Senegal and
Kenya. How do
you say shaman
in French?
And which
shaman
buttressed
Ban's
Administration's
February 2016
ouster of
Inner City
Press which
asks these
questions, and
the April 2016
eviction of
all its files,
to try to give
its long time
work space to
an Egyptian
state media
which never
comes in, and
confine it
still to
minders to
cover
meetings?
Further back,
there was
Ban's dizzying
about face of
on a Sunday
inviting Iran
to the Syria
talks in
Montreux --
and once
confronted by
the shaman of
US Power,
dropping the
invitation the
next morning.
Perhaps Ban is
more like Park
than has yet
been written
about. There
will be more.
Watch this
site.
What has Ban
Ki-moon turned
the UN into,
as he seeks to
run for
President of
South Korea?
Since October
14, Ban
Ki-moon has
refused to
make public
the speech he
gave on
October 14
before the
Council of
Korean
Americans,
which sought $100,000
sponsorships
to hear Ban
speak.
Now even as
current South
Korean
president Park
is under fire
for allowing
her speeches
to be written
by others, it
has become
clear that
Ban's speeches
and policies
have been
similarly
influenced, by
Saudi Arabia
on Yemen, and
by the United
States on
denying the
UN's role in
bringing
cholera to
Haiti. So what
is the
difference?
On October 25,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
By contrast,
for days
leading up to
Ban's October
26 speech at
Columbia's
SIPA, Ban's
spokesman
promoted and
promised the
text of the
speech. At
noon on
October 26,
Inner City
Press asked,
“You're
talking about
the Columbia
speech.
Can you just
please
explain?
If he gives
private
speeches, can
we just get a
list of where
they are, even
if you don't
give the
text?
Can you do
that?”
But
neither before
Ban's SIPA
speech, more
in the hours
after, did
Dujarric
provide even a
list of Ban's
recent
“private”
speeches.
Inner City
Press watched
and streamed
Ban's SIPA
speech, adding
some
commentary and
even satire as
is its right
on Periscope.
YouTube
video here.
As noted, Ban
did not
address his
position(s) on
UN cholera in
Haiti, or
being
pressured by
the Saudi led
coalition to
drop them from
the Children
and Armed
Conflict annex
on Yemen, much
less nepotism,
censorship and
lack of
transparency.
We'll have
more on this.
From the
October 25
transcript:
Inner City
Press: Thanks
for announcing
the
Secretary-General's
speech in… at
Columbia.
I want to ask
again.
Rather than… I
may have
misread your
[inaudible].
Last time I
asked, where
is Ban
Ki-moon's
speech to the
Council of
Korean-Americans,
for which they
raised
$100,000, just
to release
it? You
seem… I
somehow read
into your face
that, like, it
might be
coming.
Is there some
reason that
that speech
is… is… of all
the speeches
that he gave
in the last
two weeks…
withheld?
Spokesman:
He's given
speeches to
private
events.
I really have
nothing else
to add on the
issue.
Thank you.
How many
"private
events"? For
which groups?
We'll have
more on this.
On October 21,
even as UN
staff
protested
Ban's lack of
judgment in
naming a
cartoon
character,
Wonder Woman,
a UN
ambassador,
Ban made
public to
Reuters not
this speech
but his
ambition to be
president of
South Korea.
Reuters did
not ask about
the day's
protest, much
less the
“private”
speech.
Reuters
“reported”
that “Ban said
it was the
first time he
had spoken
publicly about
his future
beyond the
United
Nations.” So
what was new,
given that Ban
held a 20
minute public
“photo op”
with South
Korea
legislators,
with Korean
media (and
Inner City
Press)
present?
At the
October 24
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press put the
question to
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric who
was present at
the 20 minute
photo op, even
told the
Department of
Public
Information to
break from its
stated rules
and allow
Korean
print-only
reporters up
to witness
Ban's
announcement.
Dujarric
repeatedly cut
off the
question, not
allowing Inner
City Press to
a related
follow up.
Later he said
it's not for
Ban to comment
on any changes
to allow an
additional
presidential
term --
precisely an
issue at stake
in Burundi. From the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: on
Friday he gave
an interview
to Reuters in
which he said…
it's said that
he said it was
the first time
he publicly
said he's
returning to
South Korea in
mid-January
and exploring
how he could
help the
country.
I think you
were there
when he met
publicly with
the […]
legislators
and said the
same
thing.
But I wanted
to know, how
do you view
this
interview?
Is this him
announcing…
it's been
portrayed as
him saying…
implying
strongly he's
running.
What was first
about the
thing?
And does he
have any
response…
Spokesman:
I think you'd
have to ask
the…
ICP
Question:
I haven't…
Spokesman:
…the
journalists
why they
interpreted it
the way they
did. I
think the
Secretary-General
has made no
secret that he
will return to
Korea, and he
will decide
whatever his
next move is
once he
returns.
There is
really… you
will have…
that's not a
question
directed to
me. I
think it's a
question
directed to
journalists…
ICP
Question:
What's the
position on
term limits?
[later]
ICP Q:
just to finish
this South
Korea
question, does
the
Secretary-General
have any view
on the
announced plan
by President
Park Geun-hye
to extend… to
two limits,
to…
Spokesman:
It's not for
the
Secretary-General
to have an
opinion on
this plan.
Question:
Right.
But he's
commented on
other…
Spokesman:
I'm just…
you've asked
me a
question.
I've answered
it.
To this low
has Ban
brought the
UN. We'll have
more on this.
At the
October 21
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric again
for a copy of
the speech -
next question,
Dujarric said
- and about
the Wonder
Woman fiasco.
What will
Ban's platform
be? At the UN,
he he give the
top job in
Kenya to his
own son in
law, without
recusing
himself. He
has allowed
his mentor Han
Seung-soo to
be a UN
official while
on the boards
of directors
of Doosan and
of Standard
Chartered
bank, which
has UN
contracts. He
has evicted
the Press
which has
asked about
his nepotism
throughout his
tenure. See
here. So:
corruption,
nepotism and
censorship?
We'll have
more on this.
On October 17,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's outgoing
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric why
his office had
not made
available
Ban's speech
in Washington
DC on October
14 to the
Council of
Korean-Americans
but had widely
emailed out
Ban's speech
the same day
while getting
another
honorary
degree in
Maryland.
Dujarric
replied, with
characteristic
defensiveness,
that Ban's
Friday evening
speech at the
Ronald Reagan
International
Trade Center
in DC was
private. Vine
video here. On
October 18
when Inner
City Press
followed up
and asked how
much was
charged or
sought to hear
Ban, Dujarric
said to ask
the
organizers.
Well,
the Council of
Korean
Americans
began
promoting
Ban's
attendance, as
UN Secretary
General, as
early as
August - and
sought
$100,000
“platinum”
sponsorships.
Here's
a tweet from
September.
Is this
ethical?
Separately,
did Ban get
any UN Ethics
Office opinion
on this? Inner
City Press
asked these
questions and
more on
October 20;
Dujarric said
to... ask the
Ethics Office.
Isn't he the
UN spokesman?
He separately
refused to say
how much the
outside
counsel Ban's
UN has hired
in connection
with the Ng
Lap Seng UN
bribery case
(in which
Ban's
Secretariat
changed a
General
Assembly
document to
insert the
name of Ng Lap
Seng's
company) is
paid, and from
which budget
line or slush
fund. The
lawyer's firm
does not have
an active
contract in
the UN
Procurement
database. Earlier in the day
the UN's own
Special
Rapporteur
David Kaye
published his
report, which
included his
and Rapporteur
Michel Forst's
letter asking
Gallach why
she evicted
Inner City
Press, and her
belated
response that
Inner City
Press has
“trespassed”
in the UN
Press Briefing
Room.
But a UN
Secretary
General
allowing his
image and the
UN flag to be
used to raise
$100,000
sponsorships -
is it ethical?
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric,
wouldn't it be
fair at least
to infer Ban
supports the
views of the
group he let
charge
$100,000 for
him / the UN?
Dujarric said
no: but why?
We'll have
more on the
group's views,
including on
matter on the
agenda of the
UN Security
Council. Watch
this site.
Inner City
Press: You'd
said that Ban
Ki-moon's
speech on
Friday in
Washington to
the Council of
Korean-Americans
at the Ronald
Reagan
International
Trade Center
was somehow a
private
appearance,
but I've seen
pictures of
it. He
was in a
tuxedo with a
big screen
behind him,
and the media
was
present.
So, I'm left…
I guess what I
wonder is,
what do you
mean by
"private"?
Was it open
only to some
media?
What… was…
Spokesman:
You'd have to
ask the
organizers.
Inner City
Press:
But, if he
spent… the
money question
is this… if it
was a private…
Spokesman:
He was in
Washington for
a UN-related
event, and he
participated
in a… in this
event
organized by
this
foundation,
which was
considered a
private event.
ICP
Question:
Was money
charged to
attend it?
Spokesman:
You'd have to
ask the
organizers.
ICP
Question:
Would that be
against UN
rules?
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General
and others
appear
sometimes in
dinners where
money is
charged.
We'll have
more on this.
The Council of
Korean-American's
speech was
covered with
headlines like
“Ban Ki-moon
defends
leadership to
counter
Western
media’s
criticism.”
Ban's defense,
it seems, is
merely
“personal” -
in a parallel
fictitious
universe like
Wonder Woman.
Watch this
site.
On October 77,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN transcript
here
Inner City
Press: there's
been a number
of media
outlets in
South Korea
that have
quoted former
Prime Minister
Kim Jong-pil,
who has met
with Ban
Ki-moon and is
viewed as a
supporter and
ally. He
has been
quoted on the
record saying
Ban Ki-moon
has made up
his mind and
is running for
president.
So I wanted to
know, when's
the last time
the
Secretary-General
spoke with Mr.
Kim
Jong-pil?
Because it
becomes
important to
know to assess
the
credibility of
his statement
of Mr. Ban's
intentions.
Deputy
Spokesman:
On this, as we
have made very
clear, the
Secretary-General
has spoken, he
is going to
work as
Secretary-General
and continue
to concentrate
his energies
on being
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations until
the end of his
mandate.
He'll make his
decision after
that.
Question:
Right.
So he's
wrong.
So his ally is
not…
Deputy
Spokesman:
That is what
the
Secretary-General
has
said.
Have a good
weekend,
everyone.
On October 3
Inner City
Press asked
Haq about a
political
party's offer
to Ban, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: there
was a proposal
today, or a
law proposed
and announced
by the Saenuri
Party in South
Korea, which
would provide,
quote,
privileges or
benefits to
the
Secretary-General
when he leaves
here, which
would include
a bodyguard,
office,
security,
secretary.
And so some
have raised…
is there any
provision for
this? Is
this
consistent
with UN ethics
rules in terms
of a country
offering these
things to a
sitting UN
official?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well,
regarding
that, you'd
have to ask
the officials
in South Korea
what their
arrangements
are.
This is…
obviously, the
Secretary-General
doesn't accept
these favours
in his time as
Secretary-General.
I wouldn't
have any
comment on his
post-Secretary-General
career.
On
September 30,
a concert in
the UN pitched
as only about
South Korea's
25th
anniversary at
a UN member
was converted
into an event
for Ban
Ki-moon's
legacy.
Oh Joon, who
has spoken
about Ban and
South Korea's
presidency,
was there, as
was Ban's male
personal
assistant and
his spouse
(but not Ms
Eun Ha Kim.)
UN officials
Adlerstein and
Dieng,
Ombudsman and
successor
candidate
Helen Clark
were there.
Some
Ambassadors
showed up at
the top and
then left;
Kazakhstan, we
note, stuck it
out.
The music was
great - but,
it was
disclosed,
paid for by
investment
bank G C
Andersen. Ban
cited Han
Seung-soo, who
he's let be a
UN official
while on the
boards of
directors of
Doosan and
Standard
Chartered
Bank. (Inner
City Press
asked the new
President of
the General
Asssembly
about this on
September 30,
here).
Ban's
nepotism has
come to the
fore, but his
polling is up,
and he'd
headed on the
road. We will
cover it,
watch this
site.
, 
