UNITED NATIONS,
July 30– Inner City Press on
July 5 was banned from
entering the UN, the day after
it filed a criminal complaint
against UN Security for
physically removing it from
covering the meeting about the
UN's $6.7 billion peacekeeping
budget, as witnessed and
essentially cheered on by
senior UN official Christian
Saunders, tearing its
reporter's shirt, painfully
and intentionally twisting his
arm and slamming shut and
damaging his laptop. On July
18, still banned from entering
the UN, Inner City Press
submitted five questions
before UN Spokesman Farhan Haq's
near empty
briefing (at
which two
journalists
kindly asked
Haq for an
update on
the ban on
Inner City
Press, and Haq
said
the "investigation"
is ongoing
though Inner
City Press has
not been
contacted in
eight days,
that GAP's
letter was received
and that the
UN will simply
issue a
"decision.").
On July
30
before a
UN noon
briefing by
Guterres'
deputy
spokesman Farhan
including a
data dump of
UN rape
statistics (followed
by unrelated
questions on
G77 and
Central
America),
Inner City
Press
submitted four
question, on
on sex abuse
under embargo
for now:
"July 30-1: On
Cameroon, what
the the SG's
or his
representative
Francois
Fall's
response to
the Mayor of
Buea saying
that a planned
meeting of
Anglophone
leaders to
attempt
dialogue will
not be allowed
there? What is
DSG Amina J
Mohammed's
response,
since she is
reported in
charge of
environmental
issues for the
38th floor, to
the Biya
government's
destructive
rubber
concessions in
Southern
Cameroon?
July 30-2:
With “UN Sex
Abuse Scandal”
to which the
SG declined to
comment set to
air in the UK,
this is
request for
comment [embargoed]
July 30-3: On
the elections
in Mali, given
the SG's
statement in
advance, what
and from where
is his comment
on the rocket
fire and
irregularities?
In Cambodia,
on Hun Sen
claiming to
win all 125
seats? And in
advance on
Zimbabwe?
July 30-4:
Given that the
UN - seemingly
only DPI
despite my
“interview” by
DSS 20 days
ago - says I
am banned
pending an
investigation
of why I
covered SG
speech on June
22 (ousted)
and Budget
Committee
meetings July
3 (violently
ousted and
banned since),
please explain
why dozens of
non resident
correspondents
were allowed
to remain in
the UN past 7
pm on June 26,
2018 for an
irony SG “free
press” event
that was NOT
in the UN
Media Alert,
and for which
no list of
attendees
could have
been provided
to UN
Security,
given that my
RSVP was
ignored and I
was then told
by the
organizer that
no RSVP was
necessary?
What records
has the UN
kept about the
presence in
the UN after 7
pm of (all)
non resident
correspondents
and why am I
being denied
the ability to
ask questions
in person like
others, for 27
days and
counting?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
27 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
On July
27
Guterres lead
spokesman and
censor
Stephane
Dujarric which
Inner City Press covered
from the bus
stop by
the
Delegates Entrance
gate Inner
City Press
submitted four questions, which
after the
briefing Dujarric
returned with
responses IN
CAPS, on which
he then
refused follow
up questions
of the type he
would have had
to respond to
if Inner
City Press
weren't banned
from the
briefing:
"My answers
are in CAPS
after each
question.
July 27-1:
Given
yesterday's UN
Budget Note to
Correspondents,
please
immediately
confirm or
deny that the
amount short,
including
2017, is over
$1.2 billion
and separately
that the US
account for
over 70% as
reflected by
Status of
Contributions
print outs
provided to
Inner City
Press by
member states
who found
yesterday's
Note to
Correspondents
misleading at
best. THE NOTE
TO
CORRESPONDENTS
IN ADDITION TO
WHAT WAS SAID
AT THE
BRIEFING AND
AVAILABLE TO
THE PUBLIC
SHOULD BE
CLEAR.
July 27-2:
From Burundi,
it is reported
that earlier
this week,
Tanzanian
authorities
including the
Kigoma
Governor met
with Burundian
refugees in
the Nduta camp
and told them
that they have
to go back to
Burundi
whether they
want to or
not. OUR
PRINCIPAL
POSITION
REMAINS THAT
REFUGEES
SHOULD DECIDE
FOR THEMSELVES
WHEN TO GO
HOME. RETURNS
SHOULD ALWAYS
BE VOLUNTARY.
July 27-3: In
Mali, on 20
July, the
Union for the
Republic and
Democracy
(URD)
announced the
existence of a
parallel
electoral
register that
would include
nearly 1.2
million
fictitious
voters, out of
8 million
registered
voters. What
is the UN's
comment,
including
given its
MINUSMA
mission there?
PLEASE CONTACT
MINUSMA
DIRECTLY.
July 27-4:
Yesterday when
asked about my
“case” or the
“investigation”
previously
described,
during which I
have been
banned from
the UN and
briefing for
24 days and
counting, you
said “an issue
of press
accreditation,
and it is
being handled
by the
Department of
Public
Information.”
So who is
investigating
the actions of
UN Security
and Lt Dobbins
and his
colleagues -
refusing to
give names
while ousting
me during an
event in the
Media Alert on
June 22, then
after I wrote
to the SG, USG
DPI and others
on June 25 and
asked both of
you, tearing
my shift,
damaging my
laptop and
twisting my
arms on July 3
as I covered
the Fifth
Committee
meetings that
had been
advised to me?
Can DPI
investigate
DSS? Why was
my only
contact to
date - in 24
days - a
single
“interview” by
DSS? Where are
these
discussions
with various
parts of the
UN that you
mentioned?
When does this
outrage end,
and who will
be held
accountable?
THE PROCESS IS
ONGOING.
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?
WHEN THE SG IS
ON PERSONAL
TRAVEL HE PAYS
HIS OWN WAY.
[So no
Security? And how
not say
were, as Mayor De
Blasio does,
and Trump does?]
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
19 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
THIS VERY
EMAIL PROVES
THAT WE ARE
ACTUALLY
ANSWERING YOUR
QUESTIONS.
WHETHER OR NOT
YOU FEEL THE
ANSWERS ARE
SUFFICIENT IS
UP TO YOU BUT
YOU CAN NOT
CLAIM IN ANY
WAY THAT WE
ARE NOT
ANSWERING YOUR
QUESTIONS OR
ENGAGING WITH
YOU IN REGARDS
TO NEWS
QUERIES." Well,
no. These
email answers
don't make
up for barring
Inner City
Press from
being able to
ask questions
at the Security
Council
stakeout -
censorship -
and being
able to ask
follow up
questions (one
of which, on what
member states
told Inner
City Press
were misrepresentations
in Dujarric's
July 26 Note
to
Correspondents,
he refused to
answer).
So Inner City
Press -
before it learned
Dujarric
was heading
on vacation
like Guterres
for two weeks
and Alison
Smale for
three, send
him, them, and
Smale
fill-ins Hua Jiang
and Ramu
Damodaranthis:
"On Fri, Jul
27, 2018 at
12:46 PM,
Stephane
Dujarric De La
Riviere
<dujarric[at]un.org>
wrote: "YOU
CAN NOT CLAIM
IN ANY WAY
THAT WE ARE
NOT ANSWERING
YOUR QUESTIONS
OR ENGAGING
WITH YOU IN
REGARDS TO
NEWS
QUERIES."
I have tried
to avoid
e-mailing
follow up
questions, in
part because
they can be
evaded or
ignored just
like the
initial
questions. But
today's first
and last
responses,
particularly
together,
compel this
follow up:
USG Smale,
before going
on three week
vacation with
Inner City
Press already
banned from
the UN since
it on July 3
covered the
Budget
Committee in
the same way
it has for ten
years,
including the
last two as a
non-resident
correspondent,
wrote to the
Government
Accountability
Project that “
the Office of
the
Spokesperson
for the
Secretary
General has
continued to
answer Mr.
Lee's
questions and
requests for
information.
The United
Nations will
continue to
respect Mr.
Lee's ability
to freely
exercise his
journalistic
endeavors.”
But not only
banning me
from asking
questions at
the the
Security
Council
stakeout but
also from the
noon briefing
where I could
ask questions
and follow ups
in person is
no respect for
journalistic
endeavors.
The example
today is the
budget
shortfall
question.
After
yesterday's
Note to
Correspondents,
Inner City
Press was
contacted by
member states
(as well as
some UN Staff)
who said the
Note was
misleading. I
asked today in
writing if “
the amount
short,
including
2017, is over
$1.2 billion”
and the
question was
evaded by
simply
referring
again to the
2018 figure,
when it is a
biennial
budget. If not
banned from
the briefing,
I would have
followed up.
So I ask you
now to comment
on the
attached print
out from the
Status of
Contributions
website: why
report on only
one of a two
year budget?
And on the
Burundian
refugees,
beyond the
vague
“principal
position,”
what if
anything is
the UN doing
about it?
As to the
“investigation,”
it's been
three and a
half weeks,
and I have be
contacted
once, by DSS.
What could
possibly take
this long to
investigate?
Was I entitled
to cover the
Budget
Committee
meeting of
which I was
advised? Yes.
Was I
nevertheless
roughed up by
Lt Dobbins and
his colleague,
still UNnamed?
Yes. Did I say
“I am a
journalist”?
Yes. Had I
informed USG
Smale, and the
SG and Deputy,
that I was
targeted by
Dobbins on
June 22 and to
do something?
Yes. So why am
I still
banned, in
disrespect, as
USG Smale put
it, to my
journalistic
endeavors? As
GAP's July 23
letter to USG
Smale and the
cc-ed
Officer(s) in
charge put it,
"Finally, GAP
is aware you
are on
vacation for
three weeks,
but response
(and full
reinstatement)
should not and
cannot defer
to that
schedule."
Please state
any
information
needed from me
to complete
this
Kafkaesque 'investigation.'"
Hours later,
no reponse
at all. Watch
this site.
From
July 26: "July
26-1: Given
allegations of
nepotism and
corruption
made by UN
staff to Inner
City Press,
please confirm
and comment on
how John van
Rosendaal, the
husband of
Department of
Political
Affairs chief
of staff Kyoko
Shiotani,
became a UN
P5, how he was
given a role
in a DPA
website, who
else works on
it, whether it
is Dutch
funded, and
what the SG
has done about
this since I
wrote to
sgcentral[at]un.org
about it on
June 25, after
first
reporting it
in May.
July 26-2: In
Kenya, what is
the comment
and action of
the UN/SG and
his Resident
Coordinator on
this: “Kenya's
government is
violating the
rights of
nearly people
who have been
evicted from
their homes in
the last two
weeks to
protect a
forest and
construct a
road.... at
least 10 000
people were
left homeless
when they were
evicted from
Nairobi's
Kibera slum
where the
government
plans to build
a road. They
accused the
authorities of
going against
a court order
prohibiting
government
from evicting
residents from
the area
without a
resettlement
plan.In
western Kenya,
at least 7 888
people have
been evicted
to preserve a
critical water
catchment
area, the Mau
Forest
Complex, from
destruction.
Rights groups
say the
evictions
violate the
rights of the
people
affected.”
July 26-3:
What is the UN
/ SG's comment
/ action on
Sierra Leone's
warning to
media: “Sierra
Leone police
has warned
journalists
and media
organisations
against
broadcast of
‘misleading,
disrespectful
and inciting’
statements,
which it says
have the
potential to
cause
insecurity,
instability
and fear in
the minds of
the people. In
a statement
issued over
the weekend,
the police
force
specifically
called out FM
98.1 and AYV
television for
broadcasts
that it says
were made
against
President
Julius Maada
Bio’s
executive
orders, the
governance
transition
team report
and the
controversial
of the fuel
subsidy that
caused the
first
demonstration
in Bio’s
presidency.
‘‘In as much
as people have
the right to
discuss
issues, yet
this should be
done within
the confines
of the law and
should be done
responsibly
and
factually,’‘
read part of
the
statement.”
July 26-4: On
UN Sex Abuse,
confirm or
deny and state
what the UN is
doing about
“11 alleged
victims of
sexual abuse,
four of whom
came forward
for the first
time and seven
who MINUSCA
confirmed it
was aware of
and
supporting.Of
the seven,
none said they
had received
regular,
individual
counselling
and just one
of the women –
who are now
aged between
15 and 23 –
said she had
received
support for
school fees...
the original
investigation
into the Dekoa
allegations,
which began in
mid-2016 and
was conducted
by Gabonese
and Burundian
investigators
together with
the UN’s
Office of
Internal
Oversight
(OIOS). The
probe, which
remains
unfinished,
was supposed
to identify
victims and
perpetrators
of sexual
abuse. But a
former UN
investigator
with
first-hand
knowledge of
the Dekoa
investigation
said DNA
evidence was
mishandled and
interviews
were conducted
in ways that
may have
jeopardised
the wellbeing
of victims and
adversely
impacted their
cases.” What
is the SG's
comment, and
action, on
this?
From
July 25:
"July 25-2: On
Cameroon, now
that Prince
Zeid has
belatedly
spoken, what
is the SG
DOING about
Biya's forces'
killings? Has
he requested
that the UNSC,
soon to be
under the
presidency of
a country
which bragged
about its
company's
natural gas
deal with the
Biya
government, be
briefed under
Article 99 and
if not, why
not?
July 25-3: In
terms of
belatedly
nominating a
successor for
Zeid, please
confirm or
deny that the
SG interviewed
Korean FM
Kyung Wha Kang
for the
position,
state who else
has been
interviewed
and if not,
why not.
July 25-4: In
PBS
Frontline's
“UN Sex Abuse
Scandal” 1
hour
documentary,
please state
why the SG, as
head of the
organization,
declined to be
interviewed
and separately
why he put
forward part
time Jane Holl
Lute and not
Jane Connors.
Also, why was
the victim of
the
Mauritanian
contingents
not contacted
as promised by
the UN?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?"
Only one, so not
listed here,
has been responded
to. If
they have an
if-asked, they
email it. This
is Smale's
definition of
supporting
journalistic
endeavors.
From
July 24: "In
Cameroon what
are the UN's /
SG's comment
on and
response to
continued and
increasing
abuses such as
this woman's
account of
being raped by
Biya's
security
forces in
Bamenda?
https://twitter.com/GilEkane/status/1021509010674147328
July 24-3:
What have been
the SG's
inquiries and
actions on the
sexual
harassment /
cover up
scandal at
UNAIDS, today
in light of
yesterday's
walk out by
hundreds of
delegates from
the opening of
the
International
AIDS
Conference o
in protest
when UNAIDS
Executive
Director
Michel Sidibe
took the
stage. Before
the walkout, a
group of
African women
read out a
statement in
protest
against
Sidibe’s
mishandling of
a sexual
assault case
against his
former deputy,
Luiz Loures.
The women read
out a
statement
calling for
Sidibe to step
down for what
they say was a
cover-up then
walked out,
followed by a
large number
of delegates.
What is the SG
doing? Where
IS the SG?
July 24-5:
What is the
UN's / SG's
comment on the
scandal in
France
involving
Macron aide
Benalla posing
as a policeman
and roughing
up protesters
on May Day?
On July 23
Dujarric faced
only 5
questions total; Inner
City Press
itself submitted
five
questions only
one half of
one was
answered a day
later: "July
23-1: In
Cambodia on
threat of
fines and
intimidation
for those who
boycott
Sunday’s
general
election, what
is the SG's
comment and
action?
July 23-2: In
Burundi,
journalist
Jean
Bigirimana has
been missing
for two years
now. He was
kidnapped by
agents of the
National
Intelligence
Service, and
the
investigation
has led
nowhere. What
is the comment
/ action of
the UN/ SG /
SRSG Kafando
on this?
July 23-3: In
Comoros
there's been
an
assassination
attempt on VP
Moustoidrane
Abdou days
before a
referendum on
constitutional
reform. What
is the UN's /
SG's comment,
and what is
the UN's
involvement,
if any, in
elections in
Comoros?
July 23-4:
Confirm or
deny what USG
Khare told
journalists
after a
closed-door
meeting with
the Prime
Minister, Dr
Ruhakana
Rugunda, that
“there is no
decision yet”
following the
July 5
resolution by
the UN’s 5th
Committee
which rejected
the proposal.
“No decision
has been taken
yet, and all
contracts of
local and
international
staff were
extended for
one year until
June 2019.”
[Quote
confirmed by
Haq after
Dujarric's
briefing.
Still
unanswered:]
Has this
extension been
done elsewhere
in the UN
system? Where?
Under what
authority?
July 23-5: You
have said in
the noon
briefing last
week that the
UN would
respond to the
Government
Accountability
Project's
letter to USG
Smale. She
did, but GAP
has today
called the
response
grossly
inadequate.
Now with Ms
Smale off on a
three week
vacation, this
is request for
the UN's /
SG's response
to / comment
on GAP's
reply, pasted
below but also
sent the the
OIC of DPI,
the DSG, etc
Still
waiting for
answer to July
21-1,
regarding
location of SG
and public
costs.
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
19 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
July
23, 2017
Alison Smale,
Under
Secretary
General for
Global
Communications
United Nations
New York, New
York
10017
Dear Ms.
Smale:
Thank you for
your letter of
July 19th
concerning the
actions of the
United Nations
with respect
to
Matthew
Russell Lee, a
US journalist
who has been
covering the
UN since 2006.
Unfortunately,
it is not
possible to
determine from
your response
what guideline
or regulation
Mr. Lee
violated that
resulted in
his expulsion
from the
premises.
First, your
letter tells
us that you
consider the
withdrawal of
Mr. Lee’s
accreditation
as a resident
correspondent
closed because
the US
government was
informed of
the
circumstances
concerning
this
action. Mr.
Lee tells GAP
that he has
not been
informed and
was not
consulted
about this
decision.
Was there some
form of due
process
surrounding
the decision
to withdraw
Mr. Lee’s
resident
correspondent
credentials in
2016, and if
so, who
participated
and of what
did it
consist?
Second, you
explain Mr.
Lee’s two
expulsions by
dispositive
statements
asserting that
he violated
the
scope of his
permissions.
Ms. Smale, the
operative
question is
which of the
media
guidelines did
Mr.
Lee violate,
and what
action was in
violation of
the
guidelines? If
you cannot
identify the
specific
regulation
broken, we
cannot address
your response.
Mr. Lee tells
GAP that UN
Security
officials
accused him of
exceeding the
time limits
allowing a
non-resident
correspondent
to access the
UN
premises, but
he presents
evidence
clearly
demonstrating
that the
meeting he was
covering was
still in
session when
he was
evicted.
According to
the
guidelines,
non-resident
correspondents
may access the
premises for
two hours
after the
adjournment of
the event they
are covering.
Third,
according to
your letter,
Mr. Lee
behaved in a
confrontational
manner when
approached by
United Nations
Security
officials, who
were therefore
entitled to
expel him.
However, it
was Mr. Lee’s
shirt that was
torn and it
was his laptop
that was
damaged by the
UN officials.
Mr. Lee
asserts that
it
was the
officials who
behaved
uncivilly, and
the videos he
recorded
illustrate
this fact.
Fourth, your
letter informs
us that the
matter is
under review,
but prior to
the release of
conclusions of
the review,
you inform us
of what this
exercise will
find: “As a
result of Mr.
Lee’s recent
actions in
violation of
the Media
Guidelines and
his
unacceptable
comportment
when dealing
with United
Nations
Safety and
Security
officials, Mr.
Lee’s
privileges of
access to the
premises of
the United
Nations as a
non-resident
correspondent
have been
suspended.
Those
privileges of
access will
remain
suspended
pending a
review of this
matter to
determine what
further
actions, if
any, should be
taken with
respect
to such
privileges.”
In other
words, the
review is not
a process to
determine what
actually
happened on the
dates in
question. It
is instead an
exercise to
determine what
further
actions can be
taken against Mr.
Lee. Our
question is,
why is this
matter under
review? Are
you not
enfranchised
to decide what actions
shall be taken
against a
journalist who
has violated
the terms of
his
privileges? A
more basic question
is, why is
there no due
process to
consider a
violation and
evidence
regarding what
actually
happened in
Mr. Lee’s case
(and more
generally)?
Ms. Smale, if
we are allowed
to argue this
dispute before
an objective
decision-maker,
in reference
to
specific
guidelines,
allegations of
violations and
production of
evidence, we
can
demonstrate
that Mr.
Lee’s
expulsion from
UN premises
was
unprovoked,
and most
likely
retaliatory
for articles
he has written
critical of UN
operations.
If, however,
we are subject
to an exchange
of letters, in
which you
respond to
us and to Mr.
Lee with
dispositive
statements,
without
reference to
specific
guidelines
violated or
evidence of
the violation
cited, we
cannot
prevail.
In short, the
United
Nations, and
in particular
your office,
is deciding
who will be
accredited to
inform
the public
about the
operations of
the United
Nations. This
practice, in
itself, is a
violation of
Article 19
of the
Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights,
which the UN
was
established to
uphold.
Once again,
GAP is
requesting
information
about the
specific
guidelines
that Mr. Lee
violated on
June
22nd
and on July
3rd of this
year that
caused his
eviction from
the premises
of the UN. And
most urgently,
we
respectfully
request
immediate
access to the
premises, so
that Mr. Lee
can do his
job. Today, we
are
informed that
the UN
Security
Council is
meeting about
Afghanistan,
Lebanon,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
Myanmar, and
Mr. Lee cannot
access any of
those meetings
or the
stakeouts.
Please respond
by e-mail
this
afternoon, if
possible.
Finally, GAP
is aware you
are on
vacation for
three weeks,
but response
(and full
reinstatement)
should
not and cannot
defer to that
schedule...
Cc: Officer in
Charge,
Department of
Global
Communications
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Inner City
Press
US Senator
Patrick Leahy
US
Representative
Chris Smith
US
Representative
James McGovern
David Banisar,
Article
19"
Dujarric
called on his
stooges;
we'll have
more on that. And still
these
from July 20,
when Guterres
refused to
answer on his
censorship: "July
20-1: On
Western
Sahara, what
is the comment
of the SG and
separately his
envoy /
adviser Kohler
on “Morocco
and the
European Union
concluded on
Thursday
negotiations
held to renew
the 2014
fisheries
agreement, a
diplomatic
source told
Yabiladi. The
treaty
includes the
Western Sahara
waters.”
July 20-2:
Yesterday in
SDNY court,
Patrick Ho who
is charged
with using UN
NGO CEFC for
bribing then
PGA Sam Kutesa
failed in
getting any of
the
indictement
counts against
him dismissed,
and failed in
suppressing or
excluding from
the case his
texts and
emails. What
is the SG's
comment, why
hasn't the SG
called for or
commissioned
an OIOS audit
as even his
predecessor
did, and who
in the UN
system is the
UN aware of as
being in Ho's
seized
messages?
July 20-3:
Please confirm
or deny that
“Atul Khare,
while meeting
with the Prime
Minister Dr.
Ruhakana
Rugunda in
Kampala, said
evaluations
carried out by
the UN did not
show cause for
an urgent move
of the base to
Kenya as
earlier
reported.”
July 20-4:
What is the
SG's comment
on the already
completed
Frontline
documentary
S36 E11: "UN
Sex Abuse
Scandal" - “An
investigation
of sex abuse
by United
Nations
peacekeepers
in the world's
conflict
zones. The
film traces
allegations
from Boston to
Congo to the
Central
African
Republic, with
firsthand
accounts from
survivors,
witnesses, and
officials.”"
Nothing. On July
19 when the
UN Webcast of
which had no
audio, nearing the
very
definition of
censorship,
Inner City
Press asked
Haq questions
including: "July
19-2: I saw
that at the
July 18 noon
briefing when
asked if there
is a deadline
or timeline to
complete this
supposed
investigation
of July 3
(when I was
physically
roughed up and
ousted from
covering the
5th Committee
meetings as I
have the last
ten years
including the
last two as a
non resident
correspondent,
under the MALU
Access
Guidelines).
How is that
lack of
timelines - 16
days and
counting -
consistent
with your call
for “swift and
transparent”
investigations,
for example in
Cameroon? What
is the
timeline?
Given that I
have not been
contacted in 9
days, what is
the delay? Why
was I not
allowed to
speak, 9 days
ago, about the
June 22 ouster
and my June 25
email to the
SG, USG Smale
and others?
July 19-3:
Also on
Cameroon,
you've told me
this morning
“Regarding
your Cameroon
questions and
the briefing
by Mohammed
ibn Chambas,
please note
that Cameroon
does not fall
under the
purview of
UNOWA. In his
briefing, SRSG
Chambas
referred to
the border
demarcation
activities of
the
Cameroon-Nigeria
Mixed
Commission, of
which he is
Chairman."
But SRSG
Chambas told
the UNSC,
“"The
demarcation of
the
Cameroon-Nigeria
border and the
pillar
construction
continue to
face
challenges due
to insecurity
in areas
affected by
the presence
of Boko Haram
and unrest in
the
English-speaking
regions of
Cameroon.
Nevertheless,
pillar
construction
is expected to
resume at the
end of the
rainy season."
So he
referenced
“unrest” in
Anglophone
Cameroon, and
expressed an
expectation
about how it
would develop
/ allow pillar
construction.
And so again:
What is the
basis of the
SRSG's
“expectation”?
Statements by
the government
of Paul Biya?
Is the problem
in the
“English
speaking
regions” one
of unrest, or
of targeting
killings and
the burning
and looting of
villages by
Paul Biya's
forces?
What inquiry
had Chambas or
his colleagues
in the UN
system made
into the fate
of the 47
people
illegally
refouled from
Nigeria to
Cameroon?
July 19-4:
Also on
transparency,
it is reported
that “Airbus
has signed a
memorandum of
understanding
with the
United
Nations.”
Please provide
a copy of that
MOU, and of
the Myanmar -
Rohingya MOU,
or state why
and on what
basis for a
public
institution
these are not
released."
Nothing - except
these notes,
which we
publish in
full: "**SYRIA
As of today,
the entire
population of
the besieged
Syrian towns
of Foah and
Kafraya has
reportedly
been evacuated
following a
local
agreement
between
parties to the
conflict. The
two towns had
been besieged
by non-state
armed groups
since October
2015. The
United Nations
last provided
humanitarian
assistance to
the besieged
areas in
September
2017.
An estimated
6,900 people
were
reportedly
escorted by
the Syrian
Arab Red
Crescent to
the Al-Eiss
crossing in
southern rural
Aleppo
Governorate.
In addition,
17 medical
cases,
accompanied by
21 family
members, were
brought to
hospitals in
Aleppo city.
The United
Nations was
not party to
the negotiated
agreement or
its
implementation,
but stands
ready to
provide all
people in need
with
humanitarian
assistance
wherever they
are. The
United Nations
underlines
that any
evacuation of
civilians
should be
safe,
voluntary,
well-informed
and to a place
of their own
choosing. All
people
displaced
through such
agreements
must retain
the right of
return as soon
as the
situation
allows.
Also today, a
United
Nations/Syrian
Arab Red
Crescent
inter-agency
convoy
delivered
food,
nutrition,
health,
education,
water and
other
humanitarian
supplies for
19,500 people
in need to
Beit Jan and
surrounding
areas, in
southwest of
the Rural
Damascus
governorate.
This is the
first
humanitarian
convoy to
reach the
formerly
besieged area
since 2013. In
addition, the
team conducted
a needs
assessment
during the
delivery.
**IRAQ
The World
Health
Organization
announced
recently that
38 per cent of
health
facilities in
Iraq supported
by nine Health
Cluster
partners are
at risk of
closure by the
end of July
2018, due to
funding
shortages,
affecting more
than 900,000
people.
Health
partners
urgently
require $54
million under
the 2018
Humanitarian
Response Plan
to ensure
continuation
of health
services in
conflict-affected
and newly
accessible
areas.
Meanwhile, the
Iraq
Humanitarian
Fund has
completed the
allocation of
some $34
million to
support NGOs,
UN agencies
and Red
Cross/Red
Crescent
partners
providing
crucial
humanitarian
assistance in
Iraq.
**DSG TRAVEL
The
Deputy
Secretary-General
will travel to
the United
Kingdom from
22 to 25 July
to participate
at the first
Global
Disability
Summit and to
engage in
high-level
meetings on
reforms of the
United Nations
development
system.
She will
return to New
York on
Wednesday, 25
July.
**EL SALVADOR
In a statement
we issued last
night, the
Secretary-General
welcomed the
decision by
political
parties in El
Salvador to
establish a
negotiating
framework to
reach medium
and long-term
agreements for
the benefit of
the country.
He
congratulated
the members of
civil society,
constituted in
a
UN-facilitated
Group in
Support of
Political
Dialogue, who
have helped
bring into
being the
commitment of
political
parties.
The
Secretary-General
hopes that the
political
parties will
now join their
efforts in
translating
their
commitment
into concrete
agreements
that will
benefit all
Salvadorans.
**MIGRATION
The UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR)
today welcomed
recent actions
taken by
several
European
countries to
collectively
end a standoff
on the
Mediterranean
where some 450
refugees and
migrants had
been stranded
at sea amid a
battle over
disembarkation.
Since
Saturday, the
governments of
France,
Germany,
Italy, Malta,
Spain and
Portugal have
agreed to land
the ships and
share the
processing,
including any
potential
asylum claims,
of these
people.
The High
Commissioner
for Refugees,
Filippo
Grandi, said
that this sets
a positive
example of
how, by
working
together,
countries can
uphold sea
rescue and
manage borders
while
simultaneously
meeting
international
asylum
obligations.
However, he
cautioned,
solutions that
go beyond
piecemeal or
“ship-by-ship”
arrangements
are needed.
You can read
more on
UNHCR’s
website.
**ECOSOC
The Economic
and Social
Council is
holding a
high-level
policy
dialogue with
International
Financial and
Trade
Institutions
today,
focusing on
trends in the
global economy
and
international
trade in the
context of
sustainable
development.
Representatives
of the
International
Monetary Fund
(IMF), the
World Bank
Group, the
World Trade
Organization
(WTO), the
United Nations
Conference on
Trade and
Development
(UNCTAD) and
the Department
of Economic
and Social
Affairs
(UNDESA)
offered their
projections
for economic
growth,
international
trade and
other trends
and
challenges.
And in the
afternoon, a
thematic
discussion on
“Leveraging
new
technologies
for the
Sustainable
Development
Goals” will
take place.
**HONOUR ROLL
For the Honour
Roll, I am
delighted to
welcome
Lithuania to
the Honour
Roll! Our
friends in
Vilnius have
paid their
regular budget
dues in full,
making
Lithuania the
111th Member
State to do
so.
**PRESS
ENCOUNTERS
TODAY
This evening,
at around 6:30
p.m., there
will be
stakeout by
the President
of the
Security
Council,
Ambassador
Olof Skoog of
Sweden, along
with the
Chairperson of
the African
Union (AU)
Peace and
Security
Council,
Ambassador
Sebade Toba of
Togo, at the
Security
Council
Stakeout.
They will
brief in their
capacity as
Co-Chairs of
the 12th
Annual Joint
Consultative
Meeting
between the
members of the
Security
Council and
the AU Peace
and Security
Council,
following the
conclusion of
the meeting."
Inner City
Press will, of
course, be
banned from
that as well.
Thanks,
Guterres,
Smale and
Sweden.... From the
July 18
questions
Inner City
Press
submitted,
UNanswered like
those below: "Is the
Secretary
General
meeting today
with the Club
of Madrid or
any of its
members? If
so, why is
this not in
his public
schedule? And
please list
the purposes
and issues of
his most
recent two
meetings
involving the
Club of
Madrid... Regarding
the next
Administrative
Instruction
ST/AI/2018/8
signed on July
9 by USG
Beagle
https://undocs.org/ST/AI/2018/8
about the use
of force by UN
Security,
please explain
the meaning of
“Security
officers are
expected to
exercise their
functions with
courtesy and
in co nformity
with
established
rules and
regulations,
including
applicable
local law.”
Since NYPD
officers are
required to
give their
names, does
this mean that
the UN ERU
officers who
refused to
give their
names on June
22, and Lt
Dobbins who
told them not
to give there
names, do not
comply with
this?" What is
the UN
deciding on -
suspending Lt
Dobbins and
the other rogue
officer who
tore Inner
City Press'
shirt and
twisted its
reporter's arm
for covering
Guterres' $6.7
billion budget
committee
meeting?
From
the day
before: "July
17-1: Confirm
or deny that
the Indian
army unit
based in Uri
that was
struck and
struck Kashmir
is no longer
being deployed
to MONUSCO,
and the UN's
reasoning.
July 17-2:
Relatedly,
please provide
an update on
the (second
tier of)
vetting of Sri
Lanka troops
whose
deployment was
reportedly
deployed.
July 17-3:
“Egypt's
parliament has
approved a
tough new law
to regulate
social media,
raising fears
that it could
curb dissent
against
President
Abdul Fattah
al-Sisi's
regime. The
law states
that social
media users
who have more
than 5,000
followers
could be
placed under
the
supervision of
Egypt's
Supreme
Council for
Media
Regulations.
The council
would be
authorised to
suspend or
block any
personal
account which
"publishes or
broadcasts
fake news” -
what is the
comment of the
SG / UN?
July 17-4:
What is the
SG's or UN's
comment on the
physical
removal of
journalist Sam
Husseini from
yesterday's
US-Russia
press
conference in
Helsinki?
July 17-5:
Since you and
USG Smale have
refused to
answer Inner
City Press'
questions on
why it remains
banned, and
unable to
attend and ask
questions at
the noon
briefing and
elsewhere in
the UN (and
even to WIPO
in the Pierre
Hotel), please
provide the
UN's responses
on deadline to
the letter to
USG Smale and
others
(including
chief of staff
Viotti and ASG
Christian
Saunders) from
the Government
Accountability
Project." No
answers,
repeat
questioners,
only one to
PGA Lajcak's
spokesman. On
July 16,
Inner City Press
submitted seven
questions,
only one of
which, on Haiti, was even partially
answered, on
this web site.
The July 16
questions:
"Still
banned from
UN, for being
roughed up
while covering
the UN Budget
Committee
meetings I am
entitled to
cover under
MALU Access
Guidelines and
as applied to
all other non
resident
correspondents)
I was
belatedly
“interviewed”
by UN Security
in the
basement of
the UNITAR
building on
July 10 from
10:45 to 12:05
and *nothing*
since. I have
questions on
that; as I've
told you, DPI
has not
responded to a
single one of
my seven
emails so I am
asking you:
July 16-1: On
Cameroon,
Inner City
Press is still
awaiting your
response to
question I
posed two days
ago: there are
newleaked
videos of
abuse by
Cameroon
security
forces. Since
there's not
yet even a
promise of
self-investigation,
what is the
UN's comment?
July 16-2:
Given your
belated call
last week for
a “swift and
transparent”
investigation
of the earlier
verified
footage,
please live up
to “swift and
transparent” -
how long can
an
investigation
(of me being
roughed up and
wrongfully
ousted from
covering
Budget
Committee
meeting on
July 3) take?
It's been 13
(or at least
11) days.
On
transparency,
again, WHO
decided,
between July 3
and July 5 945
am, to ban me?
And on what
basis?
July 16-3:
Thousands took
part yesterday
in Rabat in a
march called
by Human
rights
associations
and unions to
call for the
liberation of
the “Hirak El
Rif” detainees
and answer the
socioeconomic
requests of
the
inhabitants of
Al Hoceima.
For the
upteenth time,
what is the
UN's comment
on this
ongoing unrest
and injustice,
given the SG's
“conflict
prevention”
and human
rights claims?
July 16-4: In
DRC President
Joseph Kabila
replaced the
country´s army
chief in a
military
shake-up at
the weekend
that included
the promotion
of two leaders
accused of
human rights
violations.
what is the
UN's comment
on this
ongoing unrest
and injustice,
given the SG's
“conflict
prevention”
and human
rights claims?
July 16-5: In
a letter to
the UN,
Turkish-Cypriot
leader Mustafa
Akinci has
called for a
reassessment
of the UN
peacekeeping
force’s
(UNFICYP)
mandate on the
island. What
is the SG's
thinking /
response?
July 16-6:
Haitian Prime
Minister Jack
Guy Lafontant
resigned,
after
civilians were
killed
protesting
fuel price
subsidy cuts.
Again, that is
the comment of
UNSG and the
UN Mission,
given what the
UN has done
there
including by
introducing
cholera and
not paying
reparations of
any kind?" No
answers. On
June 13 another
empty
briefing, after
which Haq
answered only
one of the
questions,
which included:
"Still banned
from UN, I was
belatedly
“interviewed”
by UN Security
in the
basement of
the UNITAR
building on
July 10 from
10:45 to
12:05. I have
two more
questions on
that; as I've
told you, DPI
has not
responded to a
single one of
my seven
emails so I am
asking you:
1) who is
responsible
for deciding,
between 10 pm
July 3 when I
was assaulted
by UN DSS Lt
Dobbins and
another
UNnamed, and
10 am on July
5, that I was
and am banned
from entering
the UN? Who
participated
in this
decision?
2) Your office
yesterday told
The
Independent
(UK) that “a
review ha[s]
been launched
into the
manner in
which Mr Lee
had been
removed and
his future
accreditation.”
How my
accreditation
should suffer
for having
been assaulted
by Lt Dobbins
and unnamed
colleagues,
for the second
time in 11
days, is a
mystery or
worse. But
please state
how it is
possible for
DSS to
investigate
itself in this
matter. What
provisions
does the UN
have when
abuse BY UN
Security
officers is
alleged, and
how does it
impact for
example their
New York and
other gun
permits?
July 13-1: Two
full days ago
I asked your
Office about
the video of
Cameroon
soldiers
executing
women and
infants. You
have still not
answered. Now
that Amnesty
International
has verified
the video,
what has the
UN done about
it? What will
the UN do?
Relatedly,
what is the
UN's comment
on “Cameroon's
President Paul
Biya has
announced that
he will be a
candidate in
the 7 October
presidential
election that
would, if he
wins, extend
his
35-year-rule.
Biya tweeted
'I am willing
to respond
positively to
your
overwhelming
calls. I will
stand as your
candidate in
the upcoming
presidential
election'”
UPDATE:
After
the briefing,
Haq sent Inner
City Press
this: "On
Cameroon, we
can say the
following now: We
are aware of
the video
circulating on
social media
and welcome
the
announcement
by the
Government of
Cameroon to
open an
investigation
into the
matter. We
urge the
Government to
swiftly and
transparently
conduct the
announced
investigation." While
different in
kind, this echoes
UN Security
"investigating" its
own
personnel's
assault on the
Press. It is a bad
joke.
July 13-2:
Saudi King
Salman has
‘pre-exonerated’
all troops
fighting in
Yemen from any
accountability
issues they
may face over
their conduct
in the war, in
which
thousands of
civilians have
been killed
and wounded. A
statement
announcing the
early pardon,
released by
Saudi Arabia's
state news
agency SPA,
said the
pardon extends
to “all
military men
across the
armed forces”
taking part in
Operation
Restoring
Hope.” Given
that the SG
accepted
Saudi's $930
Million check,
what is his
comment?
July 13-3: In
Spain El Pais
reports that
Equatorial
Guinea
protects
President
Teodoro Obiang
from coups by
hiring combat
pilots and
commanders of
warships from
Russia,
Ukraine and
Lithuania in a
"flagrant
regime of
illegality"
and violating
international
regulations,
according to a
report of the
Spanish
police. What
is the UN's
comment and
action?
July 13-4:
Before being
ousted and now
banned, I had
asked at the
noon briefing
about the
status /
absence of USG
Heidi Mendoza
from OIOS.
While that was
not answered,
having now
learned more,
this is a
written
request that
you confirm
that USG
Mendoza has
been on leave
for
approximate
six months,
that you state
(as I
requested) who
is the Officer
in Charge,
that you state
the current
role in OIOS
of Michael
Dudley, and
that you
provide the
SGs comments
on and
response to
the decision
in [ ]
July 13-5:
With the Fifth
Committee's
rejection of
SG Guterres'
GSDM proposal
in the process
from which I
was ousted and
banned from
covering, what
is SG
Guterres'
plan?
Relately, on
the
“reconfiguring
of the
development
system,” how
much money has
been raised
and when will
SG Guterres
file the
required
Program Budget
Implication?"
No answers.
But a tape
recorder
holder for a
Japanese media
that reports
more, in a
racist
fashion, on US
rappers
finally asked
a (lame)
question.
We'll have
more on this.
On July 9,
while Haq
claimed that this one-way
assault was an "altercation"
justifying the ban of the
journalist improperly ousted
and assaulted, Haq did not by
1 pm answer a single one of
these questions then making
him one for six and trying to
keep Inner City Press out from
Guterres' long delayed July 12
press conference (a subsequent
answer, published in full
below, claims that Guterres is
committed to press freedom in
Myanmar and Sudan). Later on
July 9, Haq belatedly answered
Inner City Press' July 6
question about Canada in Mali,
below, with this: "Regarding
your earlier question on Mali,
we have the following to say:
We can confirm that an advance
party of 25 Canadian military
troops have so far been
deployed to MINUSMA as part of
the 136-strong aviation unit
to be deployed to UN
peacekeeping by the Government
of Canada, according to our
memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with this
troop-contributing country.
Canada has not submitted any
nominations for Police
contingent members to MINUSMA
to date." No police, 25 out of
136. The July 9 questions:
"Since I am still, for a third
business day, banned from the
UN without due process (see
below), here are three
question for answer before or
at the noon briefing:
July 9-1: In South Sudan, the
opposition has reportedly
rejected a peace plan under
which Riek Machar would be
reinstated as vice president.
What is the SG's (and
separately UNMISS') comment
and role if any in the
process?
July 9-2: What is the
Secretary General's response
to the demand by Transparency
International and others that
its MOU on the return of
Rohingya refugees from
Bangladesh to Myanmar be made
public? And please explain
what part of Bangladesh's plan
for a distant island for
Rohingya the SG finds or found
interesting. And what is the
SG's comment (and action) on
the charged now announced by
Myanmar against journalists Wa
Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo?
July 9-3: “Sudan’s National
Intelligence and Security
Services (NISS) on Sunday
seized copies of Al-Jareeda
and Akhir Lahza newspapers
without stating reasons” --
what is the SG's comment, and
separately his country team's
action?
On the “ban” -- Fox News
reported this ban is pending a
review. I have not been
contacted concerning any
review. Despite DSS and DPI
not have spokespeople, on July
6 I was told to contact them.
I wrote to DPI's USG Smale,
again - without any response.
So I ask again: who is
conducting the review your
Office told Fox News about?
When does it end? How does it
not involve Inner City Press,
which is now banned for a
third business day?
What is the Secretariat's
comment on/ response to this?
July 6, 2018, “Harassment of
US Journalist Intensifies at
the UN,”
https://www.whistleblower.org/blog/103306-harassment-us-journalist-intensifies-un
To whom in the UN do I submit
my evidence for this
“review”?" After 1 pm, Haq
replied with this: "Regarding
South Sudan, the UN Mission in
South Sudan welcomes the
apparent progress being made
in the peace process as talks
between the South Sudanese
parties continue in Khartoum.
It is encouraging that there
appears to be fresh momentum
and that all the various
stakeholders are actively
engaged in the discussions.
The Mission also acknowledges
and appreciates the strong
lead role of sub-regional
actors in facilitating the
discussions.
On Myanmar, we remain
concerned at the arrest and
continued detention of Wa Lone
and Kyaw Soe Oo. The
Secretary-General has
repeatedly urged for the
release of the journalists and
for the authorities to respect
the right to freedom of
expression and
information. We will
continue to raise the issue as
a high priority at every
possible opportunity.
On Sudan, we continue to call
for freedom of expression,
including the rights of the
media." Oh really. On July 6,
when Inner City Press went to
the gate to ask politely if it
could as before enter to
attend the noon briefing and
ask questions, it was told
"No." Inner City Press
reiterated its concern about
censorship to Darrin Farrant,
a staff member of Alison Smale
of DPI who has not answered
Inner City Press' six emails
and petition; he said he would
pass the concern along. We are
waiting, in the rain, for an
answer. At the day's noon
briefing, the UN's deputy
spokesman Farhan Haq took
questions from France 24,
Moroccan state media, Reuters
and quickly turned over the
podium to the PGA's spokesman.
Inner City Press had asked
Haq: "Since Inner City Press'
six inquiries with the head of
DPI Alison Smale have gone
unanswered, and I am as you
know banned from entering the
building, who are you telling
me to contact in Security and
DPI? Aren't you the
spokesperson for the
Secretariat? Need answer
immediately. For now, for
noon, three questions:
In Tanzania, Julius Mtatiro
asenior leader of a Tanzanian
opposition party has been
arrested for insulting
President John Magufuli by
asking“Who is the President,
really?” Police detained him
“as they found this phrase
offensive to the president.
They went on to search Mr
Mtatiro’s home for the device
used to post on social media.”
What is the Secretary
General's comment - and his /
Country Team's action?
It is reported that Canada
will deploy up to 20 civilian
police officers to support
both the United Nations
peacekeeping mission and the
EU training mission in Mali.
So, will they be part of
MINUSMA? How many Canadian
personnel are currently part
of MINUSMA, and what is the
plan and timetable for
additional Canadian joining of
MINUSMA? Will Canadian troops
have different (and
significantly, better)
security equipment that other
countries' troops in MINUSMA?
On the deadly class between
DRC's and Uganda's militaries
on Lake Edward, what is the
SG's comment and what is
MONUSCO's action?" So far,
even after the briefing, only
this: "Regarding your question
on Lake Edward, there is no
comment or response from
MONUSCO." We'll have more on
this.
Haq told Fox News
"Matthew Lee [i]s a repeat
offender, having been
similarly removed from the
building on 22 June 2018,
Matthew Lee has been
temporarily barred from the
premises pending a full review
of this incident." There is no
offense by Inner City Press:
the rules permit Inner City
Press to cover meetings after
7 pm, on June 22 a speech by
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres and on July 3 a
meeting about Guterres' $6.7
billion budget. So since no
one from the UN contacted
Inner City Press on July 5
about any review, Inner City
Press wrote to Haq and his
boss Stephane Dujarric (out of
the office again). Haq
replied, "Receipt is
confirmed. For questions about
security issues, you will need
to be in touch with security
and with DPI." But neither
Department has a spokesperson
- Haq is the spokesperson for
the Secretariat -- and Inner
City Press has written six
times to the head of DPI
without a single response. The
head of DPI ordered an
investigation of him own staff
after Inner City Press
published a leaked email about
him "burying" a threat to
another UN system official,
Irina Bokova (who may, some
say, become High Commissioner
for Human Rights). So Haq's
"answer" is Orwellian. We will
have more on this. Guterres
was informed on June 25 by
Inner City Press of the
escalating targeting by his UN
Security Lieutenant Ronald E.
Dobbins. In fact, Guterres
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on
July 3 essentially gave the
green light for that evening's
Security violence. On July 5,
Guterres' lead spokesman
Stephane Dujarric refused to
answer press questions about
the ouster before "his" noon
briefing. Afterward, when
Saunders sauntered out of the
UN in black sunglasses and was
informed that Inner City Press
was now banned, his response
was to complain about some of
the written coverage of him.
Video here.
So is that why he cheered on
the twisting of the Press'
arm? Will this obviously
biased official be witness in
the "full review of the
incident" pending which Inner
City Press is indefinitely
banned? Brenden Varma the
Spokesperson for the President
of the General Assembly
Miroslav Lajcak (whose chief
of staff and under-staffer
were also informed of the
Press ban) said, as his office
summarized, "This afternoon at
3:00, the General Assembly’s
Fifth Committee, which handles
administrative and budgetary
matters, will formally take
action on all outstanding
issues, including United
Nations peacekeeping budgets
and the Secretary-General’s
management reform and peace
and security architecture
reform proposals.
It will then close the second
part of its resumed session.
Following that, the General
Assembly plenary will meet to
consider the report of the
Fifth Committee." Inner City
Press was banned from this
meeting and vote. While the UN
has told Inner City Press
nothing, Guterres spokesman
Farhan Haq told FOX
News' Adam Shaw that
"security followed up, they
found Matthew Lee to be in the
building past 9 p.m., well
after the hours for a
non-resident correspondent,
and they informed him that he
was not allowed to roam around
the UN compound at that hour.
They informed him that he
would be required to leave the
premises. At that point, Mr.
Lee became loud and
belligerent, and resisted the
instructions of UN security
officers. He was then escorted
outside the building, along
with his laptop and backpack.
Based on his unacceptable
behavior, and the fact that he
was a repeat offender, having
been similarly removed from
the building on 22 June 2018,
Matthew Lee has been
temporarily barred from the
premises pending a full review
of this incident." But Inner
City Press has not been
contacted for any review,
which would have to include UN
Security twisting its
reporter's arm before any
volume, and the MALU rule
permitted coverage of meetings
after 7 pm, and for an hour
after then end. This was pure
targeting, and Guterres and
his team are
responsible. Eleven days
after UN Security officers led
by UN Lieutenant Ronald E.
Dobbin and four others who
refused to give their names
pushed Inner City Press'
reporter out
of the UN during a speech by
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, on July 3 just after
Inner City Press interviewed
the chairman of the UN Budget
Committee, Dobbins and another
UN Security officer even more
physically removed Inner City
Press from the UN. Video
here,
tweeted here.
Hours later as diplomats and
Guterres officials who
witnessed it left the UN,
Inner City Press asked
Guterres' Under Secretary
General for Field Support Atul
Khare about the process. He
admitted, contrary to
Guterres' spokesman, that the
Support Account was still not
agreed. Shown the shirt that
UN Security officers Dobbins
and his thus far UNnamed
partner tore, he said, "I'll
talk to DPI." While
appreciated, Inner City Press
already six times wrote to
DPI's Alison Smale, and last
week spoke directly to her and
her piano playing husband
Sergei Dreznin at the End of
UNSC Presidency reception.
Inner City Press told Smale,
and an hour later emailed her,
that her continued disparate
treatment of active Inner City
Press as a non - resident
correspondent would allow
further targeting like that of
Lieutenant Dobbins and four
unnamed Emergency Response
Unit officers on June 22.
Smale didn't even confirm
receipt of the email as
requested. And on July 3 a new
officer got involved as Inner
City Press covered the UN
budget, breaking Inner City
Press' laptop, tearing its
shirt and twisting its arm.
Smale and Guterres are
responsible. This all happened
as Inner City Press was
actively writing about the
UN's murky $6.7 billion
peacekeeping budget and
questionable reforms by
Guterres. It happened directly
in front of, and ultimately at
the order of, a Guterres
Assistant Secretary General,
Christian Saunders. A number
of diplomats stood and took
pictures and videos. Here as
the interview, pre-ouster,
with the Budget Committee
chairman Tommo Monthe of
Cameroon, video here.
Guterres' spokesman Farhan on
both July 2 and July 3
insisted to Inner City Press
that the budget was agreed to
in a closed session on Sunay,
when clearly it has not been
approved. While we will have
more on the other UN Security
Officer, Inner City Press has
previously reported on issues
with Saunders, from education
to the cover up of sexual
harassment and abuse in the
UN. The fact that Antonio
Guterres allows this to go on
in his UN should disqualify
him. The UN had at least 11
days to deal with this - Inner
City Press repeatedly at the
noon briefing asked about the
rules, and the budget - and
this was their response.
Significantly, on July 3 the
Government Accountability
Project has criticized
the ouster and called for
Inner City Press to be
reinstated as a UN Resident
Correspondent. Inner City
Press asked Guterres' Deputy
Spokesman Farhan Haq, video here, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I'd asked
you, a week ago, about the UN
policy of UN security ousting
the non-resident correspondent
during a meeting to be covered
and refusing to give their
names, and now the Government
Accountability Project has asked
the same question. So
I'm wondering, you didn't ask
me when I answered it [sic],
what is the policy of the UN
on something as fundamental as
security officers giving their
names, and also can they oust
journalists during a meeting
such as a budget meeting that
will be upcoming, I would
believe, in upcoming days?
Deputy Spokesman: As far
as I'm aware, the security
officers were enforcing the
appropriate rules. Any
problems that you have with
them are questions that you
need to address with our
colleagues in UN security and
with Media Accreditation." But
as GAP notes, the boss of
Media Accreditation Alison
Smale has refused to answer
anything in eight months. GAP
writes:
"as security expelled Mr. Lee
from the building, he
encountered Catherine Pollard,
the UN’s Under-Secretary
General (USG) for General
Assembly and Conference
Management, who pointedly
ignored his plight and simply
stayed her course, despite his
plea for her intervention.
Along the way, Mr. Lee also
asked the guards for their
names, which they refused to
provide. This most recent
incident is the latest in a
long history of harassment
directed at a journalist who
has been critical of UN
management and operations over
the years. Mr. Lee’s
investigative reporting has
broken stories concerning
sexual abuses committed by
peacekeepers in Africa, the
role of UN peacekeepers in
bringing cholera to Haiti, and
war crimes in Sri Lanka,
Burundi and Sudan [and
Cameroon]. Mr. Lee’s reporting
has also helped to expose
corruption at the Headquarters
of the United Nations,
including the current bribery
scandals surrounding former
General Assembly President
[Sam Kutesa and] John Ashe."
In the
eleven days since the ouster,
live-streamed on Periscope and
then put on YouTube,
the UN of Antonio Guterres has
not responded in any way.
Inner City Press was first
told to "Ask Security" then to
"Ask DPI" or as it now
absurdly wants to be known,
the UN Department of Global
Communications. But as GAP
continues, "Like USG Pollard,
the Under-Secretary for Global
Communications, Alison Smale,
seems deaf to Mr. Lee’s
distress; she has refused for
eight months to answer e-mails
or respond to a petition to
restore his credentials as a
resident correspondent." Inner
City Press since the ouster
has raised it to Smale not
only in writing (again) but
also in person - with no
response. Global
Communications, indeed. GAP
concludes: The Government
Accountability Project
therefore urges the Member
States of the United Nations
to combat the silencing of a
journalist by taking action at
the offices of the
self-appointed guardian of
free speech, itself: the
United Nations. Matthew Lee
should be: Reinstated as a
resident correspondent with
appropriate access to
facilities and events, and
Issued a public apology for
the improper expulsion that
occurred on June 22nd." To
Inner City Press, it is the
first of these, restoration to
its long time work space S-303
which sits empty every day,
assigned to an Egypt state
media Akhbar al Yom whose
Sanaa Youssef, while a former
president of the UN
Correspondents Association
(1984) has not asked the
UN a question in a
decade. As to apologies from
today's UN, the disingenuous
apology in Haiti for example
shows how much those are
worth. We'll have more on
this. Guterres' lead spokesman
Stephane Dujarric evaded Inner
City Press' questions then ran
off the podium. Video here.
Despite the fact that
Guterres' armed guards ousted
Inner City Press and that the
UN Department of Public
Information under Alison Smale
did nothing, Dujarric babbled
that Inner City Press should
"ask DPI" then ran off the
podium. Video here.
From the UN (controlled) transcript:
Inner City Press: Farhan
[Haq], on Monday, when I
informed him that on Friday I
had been, during an event in
which the Secretary-General
was giving a speech, made to
leave by UN Security while
other non-resident
correspondents, a distinction
you just cited, were still in
attendance, he said to talk to
security. And that seems
strange to me, because it
seems to me that the
Secretariat, like civilian…
Spokesman: I think if
there are any issues that you
have…
Inner
City Press: My
issue…
Spokesman: If you have
any issues with your access,
you should take them up with
DPI [Department of Public
Information] and the people
who actually issue the
accreditation.
Inner City Press: They
came… they came and they said
there was nothing they could
do…
Spokesman: "Thank you
very much. Brenden." The
UN transcript
omitted the audible question,
"So can Security just at will
bar journalists?" Video here.
The UN of Guterres, Dujarric
and Smale is a place of
corruption and censorship, and
self-serving erasure even of
the questions asked, with the
public's money. The day
before, after cutting off
Inner City Press' question
about protests of Guterres'
inaction on sexual harassment
cover-ups at UNAIDS, Dujarric
called on a correspondent for
a London-based Arabic daily.
Then he called on that same
correspondent again before
returning to Inner City Press.
Sensing this second round
might be cut off, Inner City
Press began asking about
Guterres inaction on Cameroon
then on his Security's ouster
of the Press which asks. But
Dujarric after evading the
Cameroon question turned to Al
Jazeera which asked what even
it called a light question
about the French label pin on
Dujarric's sear-sucker jacket.
Then Dujarric simply left the
room, so that Inner City
Press' question about
Guterres' use of his Security
to target the Press could not
be asked. On June 22 Inner
City Press was live-streaming
Periscope and preparing to
write about Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' claims about
his visit to Mali, where he
didn't even inquire into a
recent case child rape by a UN
Peacekeeper. With the event
still ongoing, Inner City
Press was approached by
Lieutenant Dobbins and told
that since it was just past 7
pm it had to leave the
building. Video here.
That is not
the rule, nor the practice.
But Inner City Press under
Guterres and his head of
Global Communications Alison
Smale has inexplicable been at
the "non-resident
correspondent" level lowered
from that of no-show state
media like Akbhar al Yom's
Sanaa Youssef, assigned Inner
City Press' long time office
despite rarely coming in and
not asking a question in ten
years.
While
Guterres and Smale have
created and encourage the
atmosphere for targeting the
Press, Dobbins had and has his
own reasons. Inner City Press
previously exclusively
reported on fraudulent
promotions in the UN
Department of Safety and
Security, beginning of series
here
with a leaked document
with Dobbins own name on it,
under the heading "Possible
Promotions... if Dobbins does
not want Canine / ERU."
Document here.
Since the publication, Dobbins
and a number of UN Security
officers have openly targeted
Inner City Press. This has
been raised in writing to
Smale (for eight months), for
almost 18 months to Guterres
and his deputy Amina J.
Mohammed, whose response has
been to evade questions on
Cameroon and now an ambiguous
smile while surrounded by UN
Security. On June 25 Inner
City Press asked Guterres'
Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq
about it, video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press:
on Friday there was the Eid
event in which António
Guterres gave a speech, and I…
I want… I guess I want to put
this in a general way because
I don't understand it.
During the event, as the event
went on, I was required to
leave by a Lieutenant Dobbins
and the emergency response
unit. And it seemed
strange, because there were
many other non-resident
correspondents at the
event. So, I wanted to
know… to know, one, what are
the rules? Number two,
is it acceptable for a… a… UN
Security to… to single out and
target a specific
journalist? And I did…
and I ask this because I've
previously written a story
about promotions in DSS
[Department of Safety and
Security], including Mr.
Dobbins, and whatever that is,
what are the provisions in the
UN to make sure that security
cannot abuse its powers?
So those are… I… I… I'd like
you to answer that, and also
they didn't give their
names. The other
individuals refused to give
their names. Is that UN
policy?
Deputy Spokesman: UN
Security has their
policies. Your concerns
with them need to be addressed
to UN Security. I'm not
going to comment on your own
problems with UN
Security. Brenden, come
on up.
Inner
City Press: I
don't understand. This
happened at a speech by the
Secretary-General.
Deputy Spokesman: No,
I'm sorry, your security
issues are things you're going
to have to deal with.
Inner City Press: It's not a
security issue. It was
done in the name of the
Secretary-General. Is he
speaking tomorrow at 6 p.m.
somewhere? Can you say where
the Secretary-General is
speaking tomorrow at 6 p.m.?
Deputy Spokesman: I’m
not going to argue with you on
this." There was more - video
here.
Even if Lt
Dobbins and his team and
commanders wanted to interpret
and twist the existing rules
in a way they are not enforced
against any other non-resident
correspondent at the UN, the
Guterres Eid al -Fitr event
listed in the UN Department of
Public Information was still
ongoing, making it
unquestionable that Inner City
Press had a right to be in the
UN and cover it.
But
even as Inner City Press
dialed DPI's Media
Accreditation and Liaison
Unit, getting only voice mail,
Dobbins made a call and UN
“Emergency Response Unit”
officers arrived, with barely
concealed automatic weapons.
One of them repeatedly pushed
Inner City Press' reporter in
the back, forcing him through
the General Assembly lobby
toward the exit. Video here.
UN
Under Secretary General
Catherine Pollard was told the
ouster and did nothing, as was
a Moroccan diplomat. The
heavily armed UN Security
officers refused to give their
names when asked. Lieutenant
Dobbins, with no name plate on
his uniform, refused to spell
his name. He said, I have my
orders. From who - Guterres?
His Deputy SG or chief of
staff, both of whom were at
the event? DSS chief Drennan?
DPI chief Alison Smale?
Inner City Press repeatedly
asked to be able to get its
laptop computer, which was
upstairs - there was no way to
have known it would be ousted
during Guterres' event.
But
Dobbins and the others
refused, as did the UN
Security officers at the gate.
Inner City Press remained
there, with dwindling cell
phone battery, raising the
issue online to Smale, under
whose watch Inner City Press
has remained in the
non-resident correspondent
status it was reduced to for
pursuing the Ng Lp Seng UN
bribery case into the UN press
briefing room where Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
ordered it out, then had it
evicted. A DPI representative,
whom Inner City Press asked to
call Smale, was unable or
unwilling to even let Inner
City Press go in escorted to
get its laptop.
Just
in the past week, when Inner
City Press complained of
Dujarric providing only to Al
Jazeera the response of
Antonio Guterres to the US
leaving the UN Human Rights
Council, Dujarric and the Al
Jazeera trio claimed
to MALU that the coverage was
“too aggressive.” Journalism
is not a crime? Next week,
Antonio Guterres is set to
give remarks, to which Inner
City Press has requested the
right to cover response, to
the UN Correspondents
Association, which not only
has not acted on this
censorship, but has fueled it.
Inside the
UN the Eid event continued,
alongside a liquor fueled
barbeque thrown by UN
Security. This DSS sold
tickets to non resident
correspondents, and allowed in
people who had nothing to do
with the UN, including some
seeming underage. When Inner
City Press audibly raised the
issue to UN Safety and
Security Service chief Mick
Brown, he did nothing.
The
Moroccan diplomat emerged and
chided Inner City Press for
even telling him of the
ouster, claiming that “25% of
what you write is about
Morocco.” Some Periscope video
here.
Pakistan's Permanent
Representative, who hosted the
Eid event, said she would look
into it. Sweden's spokesperson
asked whom to call in DPI and
when Inner City Press said,
Alison Smale, responded, Who
is Alison Smale? Indeed.
Smale has
refused to respond in any way,
in the eight months she has
been Guterres' “Global
Communications” chief, to a
5000 signature petition to
restore Inner City Press to
its unused office S-303 and to
adopt content neutral media
access rules going forward.
That, and appropriate action
on Lt. Dobbins and the others,
must be among the next steps.
Watch this site.
***
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