On
Protection of
Journalists,
UN
Inconsistent,
Silent on
Burundian
& Turkey,
Access for
Sale
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 2 --
For the
International
Day to End
Impunity for
Crimes against
Journalists,
there are
events at
UNESCO in
Paris, in
London and at
the UN in New
York,
sponsored by
Greece and
Lithuania, on
“Ending
impunity for
crimes against
journalists:
putting
resolutions
into
practice."
There is
a lot of talk
at the UN
about
protecting
journalists
and about the
right to
information,
but what does
it really come
to? On the
latter, the UN
still has no
Freedom of
Information
Act or
procedure, as
we have
repeatedly
noted and
advocated for.
On protection
of
journalists,
the UN and its
partners are
selective and
too often
silent.
When
from Burundi,
Radio Publique
Africaine
journalist
Egide Mwemero
was forced to
flee into the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo, where
he was banned
from
broadcasting
and then
arrested, the
UN said
nothing. Inner
City Press on
behalf of the
Free
UN Coalition
for Accessasked
about his
plight at the
October 20,
2015 noon
briefing.
But the UN,
and Herve
Ladsous' UN
Peacekeeping
which has a
mission in
DRC, have said
nothing.
Likewise on
the continued
detention of
Vice News
translator
Mohammed
Ismael Rasool,
when Inner
City Press asked
the UN about
it on
September 14,
the response
was that the
UN was looking
into Turkey's
reasoning for
the detention.
Inner
City Press for
FUNCA asked
Turkish Prime
Minister
Davutoglu
about Rasool
during General
Debate
week and was
told that
“support of
terrorism” is
illegal.
Meanwhile Ban
Ki-moon's
“partner” the
UN
Correspondents
Association
has said
nothing about
Rasool. Its
vice president
is from TRT
(and was
present at the
now infamous
Macau
conference
paid for by
indicted Macau
businessman
David Ng Lap
Seng). So what
does it all
come down to?
Money
and the sale
of access.
As the
scandal
unveiled in
the corruption
charges
against former
UN General
Assembly
President John
Ashe, Ng Lap
Seng, Francis
Lorenzo of
South South
News and
others
continues to
expand, the
compromised
position of
this UN
Correspondents
Association
has come to
the fore.
In 2011
until now,
Inner City
Press has
exposed UNCA
for taking
funds from Ng Lap
Seng
vehicles, to
which it gave
awards, and
arranging Ng
Lap Seng photo
op(s) with UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon. UNCA
has not
provided any
explanation;
the UN through
Ban's
spokesman has
said for
example that
many people
get
photographs
with Ban. But
people like Ng
previously
found in US
Senate reports
to have made
irregular
campaign
contributions,
and co-owning
hotels links
to
prostitution?
UNCA's
first vice
president went
to Ng's Macau
conference
in late August
2015, for
which numerous
other
attendees have
told Inner
City Press Ng
paid for all
travel and
hotel, iPads,
etc. Again, no
answer from
UNCA.
Outrageously,
after UNCA has
been exposed
as delivering
photo ops to
indictees Ng
Lap Seng
and Frank
Lorenzo with
Ban Ki-moon
and others in
previous UNCA
"Balls," here
is UNCA's new
pitch to
"Ambassadors"
-- one
question is,
given the
history,
should Ban be
going to such
$12,000 a
table events?
What is being
sold? Here is
UNCA's recent
pitch:
"Dear
Ambassador,
The United
Nations
Correspondents
Association is
honored to
invite you to
participate
and contribute
to the 20th
annual UNCA
Awards event
with guest of
honor U.N.
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
and H.S.H.
Prince Albert
II of Monaco,
recipient of
the 2015
Global
Advocate of
the Year Award
for climate
change.
Exclusive
raffle prizes
include
business class
airline
tickets around
the world with
hotel
accommodations
and a grand
prize FIAT
500X car. As
your esteemed
presence will
ensure the
success of
this event, we
are pleased to
send you the
below
opportunities
to attend the
gala dinner:
Mission Table
Special Price
/ $6000
(half-table) 5
seats at VIP
table at the
gala event
Special
Ambassador
Contribution /
$2,000 -1 VIP
ticket for
Ambassador
with premium
seating to
dinner + 1
complimentary
VIP ticket for
spouse or
guest -Special
acknowledgement
of the
Ambassador and
the Mission in
the UNCA
Awards Journal
of the evening
-Additional
tickets for UN
Diplomats of
the Mission
can be
purchased at
the special
price of $750
each
Giampaolo
Pioli, UNCA
President
Please make
all checks
payable to
'UNCA Awards
Committee'
Contributions
to the UNCA
Awards
Committee are
tax
deductible.
The UNCA
Awards
Committee is a
501-c(3)"
What -
to sell photo
ops with Ban
Ki-moon to
businessness /
brothel owners
indicted for
corruption and
out on $50
million bail,
the same money
used to make
contributions
and then get
UNCA
"journalism"
awards?
These
UNCA prices,
though
elevated, are
less than what
UNCA took from
Ng Lap Seng's
vehicles.
Ng Lap
Seng was found
to have
brought the
same bags of
cash later
deployed at
the UN into
the US
earlier, in
the late 90s,
when his
Fortuna hotel
was linked to
organized
crime and even
human
trafficking.
From the WSJ:
“Who is Ng Lap
Seng, and what
did he want?
According to
several
well-informed
sources in
Hong Kong and
Macau, Mr. Ng
is a
mysterious
figure with
extensive
business in
China, where
he also held a
minor post as
a member of
the Chinese
People's
Political
Consultative
Conference in
his hometown
of Nan Hai in
Guangdong
province. In
Macau, his
most visible
interest is
his ownership
of the Fortuna
Hotel, a
garish
high-rise in
the gambling
district,
featuring a
20,000-square-foot
nightclub with
'table
dancing' by
strippers, as
well as a
massage parlor
and, according
to its
brochure,
'over 30
independent
karaoke rooms,
all
luxuriously
decorated with
the most
advanced sound
system for any
one interested
in performing
his favorite
songs.' The
brochure also
boasts
'attractive
and attentive
hostesses from
China, Korea,
Singapore,
Malaysia,
Vietnam,
Indonesia and
Burma together
with erotic
girls from
Europe and
Russia,
certainly
offer you an
exciting and
unforgettable
evening with
friends or
business
associates.'”
Just as
UNCA "leaders"
from Voice
of America
and Reuters
(censorship
bid here)
tried to use
the UN to get
the
investigative
Press out, now
the UN
responds to
questions
about UNCA
selling
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon photo
ops to Ng Lap
Seng by
suggesting
that the
questioner,
because
present,
"condoned" the
sale.
Now,
with UNCA
still silent
on its links
with South
South News and
other Ng Lap
Seng vehicles,
here
is video
Inner City
Press
published in
December 2011
of UNCA's
murky photo
ops for Ban at
Cipriani,
which UNCA
seeks to
reproduce this
coming
December.
Even
then in
December 2011,
Inner City
Press'
accompanying
story reported
that it
"filmed what
it could of
the photo op
-- those
arranging it
kept telling
the Press it
had to leave
-- and
afterward
several in
Ban's circle
said they had
no idea who
the
businessmen
had been.
There was dark
talk about one
David Ng, a
businessman
who has
bankrolled
'vanity' media
projects given
awards that
night --
people funded
by Ng used the
word "vanity,"
so we use it
here."
Inner
City Press
published that
in December
2011 about Ng
and South
South News; it
quit UNCA and
with another
Executive
Committee
member who
quit in
disgust
co-founded
FUNCA, the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access. UNCA
continued
taking funds
from South
South News.
We'll have
more on this.
While UNCA
does not
represent all
journalists
accredited to
cover the UN
-- Inner City
Press for
example quit
the group in
2012 with
another
Executive
Committee
member and
co-founded the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
-- the UN
gives it a
privileged
position, a
large
clubhouse on
the third
floor of the
UN and,
automatically,
the first
question at
press
conferences.
But is
that
appropriate,
given that
UNCA received
money from
South South
News, “NGO 1”
in the
filing
against Ashe?
Not only did
UNCA receive
money from
South South
News: it gave
the group an
“UNCA award”
at a ceremony
at the
high-ceilinged
Cipriani's
restaurant on
December 15,
2011.
Inner
City Press,
which did not
quit UNCA in
fully ripened
disgust in
2012, was
present in
December 2011
and witnessed,
when Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon came
into
Cipriani's,
him being
shepherded
into a side
room for
photographs
with Asian men
in business
suits who
Inner City
Press did not
then recognize
-- but now
does.
UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, when
Inner City
Press asked on
October 13
about what it
had seen, said
perhaps Inner
City Press had
"condoned" it.
Video
here. But
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA after finding
conflicts of
interest in it,
and being
"ordered" to
not report on
this.
Inner City
Press: I
guess I just
want to be
more
specific.
If an event…
and there's
one that
actually, as
it turns out,
I witnessed in
Cipriani.
If the
Secretary-General
enters a large
space and is
then taken to
a smaller
space for such
photographs,
what's the
basis for
that, as
opposed to
people with
selfies?
I mean, I
understand
what you're
saying…
Spokesman:
I think, you
know, if you
were there,
then maybe you
condoned the
event as
well.
While
Inner City
Press' answer
to the
spokesman's
"if you were
there, then
maybe you
condoned the
event as
well," is that
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA
after finding
conflicts of
interest in
it, and
being
"ordered" to
not report on
this, we'll
have more on
this.
On October 13,
Inner City
Press asked
this follow
up:
Inner City
Press: I just
want to
directly ask
you about the
idea that it's
sort of people
struggling to
get photos
with the UN
officials.
There was a…
there was a
peacekeeping
day concert
that was… for
which
solicitation
of… you know,
sponsorship
was sought by
a group called
World Harmony
Alliance, and
it had
nothing… the
group has
nothing to do
with
peacekeeping,
but they paid
for day.
They… they… in
fact, the
funder
complained
that he didn't
get the
promised
photograph
with Ban
Ki-moon, but I
wonder, what
was… what's
the UN's
understanding
when they take
outside
financial
sponsorship
for such a
day? I
mean, former
UN official
[Ibrahim]
Gambari was
seen with the
same group
taking
photographs on
the fourth
floor in the
Millennium
Hotel.
What's it all
about?
What’s
happening?
Spokesman:
What former
officials do
in hotels is
really not of
my purview.
Inner City
Press:
Sure.
What about UN
peacekeeping?
Spokesman:
I would take a
look at that
actual
programme, but
I would expect
every part of
the UN to do
due diligence
when it
partners with
an outside
organization.
And
just…
I'll leave it
at that.
Photo:
here's
now-charged
Lorenzo with #UNCA prez Pioli,
by Luiz
Rampelotto /
Europa
Newswire 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9faId8FIGb
Inner City
Press:
But, given
that Mr. Frank
Lorenzo has
been charged
and he's now
out on $2
million bail,
he was head of
South-South
News, which
spread $12
million,
according to
the documents,
throughout the
UN
system.
So, what was,
how, what was
the criteria
used to choose
these two NGOs
and not either
South-South
News or
International
Organization
for
South-South
Cooperation or
South South
Steering
Committee on
Sustainable
Development?
It seems like
it's a very
limited
inquiry and…
Deputy
Spokesman:
It's not
really an
inquiry.
It's an audit,
and this is
initial
step. If
OIOS feels
like there is
something…
there's a
direction
which they
need to go as
a result of
these initial
results,
they're
certainly free
to do that,
but we needed
to get the
ball rolling
and have an
initial step
forward so
that we can
look into what
exactly is the
impact of the
monies and the
relationship
with these
groups.
John Ashe at
UNCA with
former
president,
after and
before Pioli
click photo
for source /
credit
Back in
December 2011,
shepherding
Ban for this
(compensated)
photo op with
dubious
businessmen
was Giampaolo
Pioli, then as
now the
president of
UNCA. South
South News
interviewed
Pioli that
night,
bragging of
the UNCA award
it got / paid
for,
screenshot
from video
here.
Photo:
President of
UNCA, on SSN
before giving
them award.
How much has
UNCA gotten
from South
South? pic.twitter.com/9LnoW19IPM
(For context
it must be
noted too that
Pioli rented
one of his
Manhattan
apartments to
Palitha Kohona
then granted
Kohona's
request as Sri
Lanka's
Ambassador to
screen his
government's
war crimes
denial film
“Lies Agreed
To” in the
UN's Dag
Hammarskjold
Library
Auditorium:
this
precipitated
Inner City
Press quitting
UNCA, in full
disclosure.)
How can UNCA
be given first
questions to
ask about a
scandal
involving
South South
News, from
which UNCA
took more then
to which it
gave an award?
And what are
the other
implications?
(In
terms of Mr.
Ng's desire
for photo ops,
Inner City
Press is
informed that
he separately
wanted a photo
with US
President
Obama, and
paid six
figures to a
middleman -
who
disappeared
with the
money. UNCA on
the other
hand, one wag
noted,
delivered Ban
Ki-moon for
photos at
Cipriani's.)
UNCA,
it should be
noted, has
been and is
open to
business
interested
beyond Mr. Ng
and South
South News.
Another UNCA
awards
ceremony was
sponsored by a
company called
“Acoona;” the
Italian oil
company ENI
pays the group
money.
But UNCA's
South South
News
connection,
given what has
been disclosed
and charged
this week,
should at a
minimum and as
a first step
disqualify
UNCA from
first
questions from
the UN, and
from the
continuation
of its role.
Consider:
if it gave
rise to
criminal
charges that
South South
News paid Ashe
to get a GA
document for
Ng to show off
in Macau, who
about South
South News
paying UNCA,
and UNCA
delivering Ban
for a photo op
with Ng, that
Ng could use
for related
purposes?
We'll have
more on this.
Wider, and
going forward
in this
series,
limiting UN
investigation
to OIOS -
whose director
of
investigations
Stefanovic has
resigned,
Inner City
Press hereby
exclusively
reported on
October 9 -
looking at
only two NGOs
is laughable.
The scandal is
expanding:
there is a
pattern here,
pattern and
practice.
Watch this
site. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
