UNITED NATIONS
GATE, Oct 18
– Inner City Press
on 5 July
2018 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
Secretary General
Antonio Guterres'
$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 August 17,
Guterres' Department
of Global Communication
issued a letter
banning Inner City
Press from the UN -
for life. With no
due process.
Guterres has
put the UN in the US
Press Freedom
Tracker, here.
Smale said,
again, that the UN
would answer Press
questions to the
Spokesman Stephane
Dujarric and his
Office;
Dujarric said
the same on
camera.
On October
18
more
than three
hours
before the
noon briefing by Spokesman
Stephane "French
Whine"
Dujarric
at
which he said
Guterres will
stop by the
IMF for a few
hours on
Saturday for
the "Small
States" meeting
- while failing
on Honduras -
after the July 26
noon briefing
had no
questions at all,
video here,
Inner
City Press submitted 1300
questions,
including why
it continues
to be
lawlessly banned
from entering
to ask
questions in
person:
"There
are more than
800+
questions
UNanswered.
And Monday
Sept 17,
Tuesday Sept
18, Wed Sept
19 and
Thurs and Fri
Sept 21, that
whole week, no
questions
answered. Nor
Sept 25, nor
28th - nor
October 2 nor
3. While
appreciating
and using what
was belatedly
sent on Sept 6
(while you
still withhold
if-asked
information
about Cameroon
child rape(s)
in DRC),
and on March
28 in partial
request to
Inner City
Press'
questions
about the UN
bribery
sentence of
Patrick Ho of
CEFC and
CEFC's 2018
attempt to buy
the oil
company of
Gulbenkian
Foundation
which paid the
SG, no answers
on Dec 17 or
18 or 19 or 20
or 21 -
another FIVE
days in a row,
even as SG's
direct
conflicts of
interest and
failure to
disclose
emerge, and a
newest low. No
answers on
January 30 nor
31 nor
February 1 nor
4 nor 5 nor 6
nor 7 nor 11
nor 12 nor 13
nor 14 nor 15
nor 18 nor 19
nor 20 nor 21
nor 22 nor 25
nor 26 nor 27
nor March 1 -
27 (!) And now April 1, 3-30 (one
answer
in the
entire month -
corrupt), and
now May
1-13, 15-17,
21-31,
June
3-28,
and July 1-2,
8-31 and August
1-5,
8-30,
Sept 3-5, 9-30
and now
October 1-3,
7-14,
16-17 many
questions.
No answers at
all during
those four
days of the US
v Ho trial
showing
corruption in
the UN says it
all. This ban
is just
censorship -
and Inner City
Press must be
allowed back
into the noon
briefing to
ask its
questions in
person and
follow up on
them.
October
18-1: On
Honduras on
which you have
refused to
answer or
respond to
Inner City
Press' as it
covers in SDNY
the US v Tony
Hernandez
trial which
continues jury
deliberations
today [update:
guilty
verdict and
Inner City
Press'
questions to
defendant's
lawyer
while it is
corruptly
banned from
UN]
and has asked
you why SG
Guterres did
not even bring
up corruption
and drug
trafficking
when he met
president Juan
Orlando
Hernandez, 1)
please
immediately
describe
activities of
the UN system
and resident
coordinator /
representative
on JOH's
current terms
and 2) what
now are
Guterres'
belated
comments and
actions if any
on that last
night JOH's
National Party
majority in
the Honduran
parliament
passed a law
making itslef
immune, and
that Honduran
police
dispersed
hundreds of
demonstrators
with tear gas
on Wednesday
in Tegucigalpa
who demanded
the
resignation of
President Juan
Orlando
Hernandez,
suspected by
the American
courts of
collaborating
with the drug
traffickers?
October
18-2: On
conflicts of
interest (and
China) and the
UN's partner
UNCA, and
following up
on Inner City
Press'
unanswered
five weeks ago
question
September
10-2: What are
the SG's and
USG Fleming's
view of the
ethics of UN
Correspondents
Association
official
taking a paid
trip to China
at this time,
with regard to
Xinjiang, Hong
Kong and
bribery by
China Energy
Fund
Committee,
which tried to
buy the oil
company of
Gulbenkian
Foundation
which has made
payments to
the SG? See
here." More
than a month,
no answer at
all.
But several
disgusted UNCA
members have
sent this, an
admission,
guilty
knowledge, on
which the
Secretariat's,
SG's and USG
Melissa
Fleming's
comments and
action are now
sought: "The
UNCA Executive
Committee has
taken a
decision and
is notifying
its members of
the
below:
If any member
of the UN
Correspondents
Association,
including
members of the
Executive
Committee, is
invited on a
paid trip
(travel and
lodging) to
represent
UNCA, it must
be submitted
to the UNCA
board for
approval.
Appearance
fees on behalf
of UNCA should
be declined as
it compromises
the integrity
and
credibility of
the
association.
If UNCA
members are
offered paid
trips or other
complementary
benefits as
individual
journalists,
it is up to
them and their
news outlets
to decide how
to
proceed.
UNCA OFFICE."
Is that an
admission? Is
it enough?
Again, what
has the SG
done about
bribery by
China Energy
Fund
Committee,
which tried to
buy the oil
company of
Gulbenkian
Foundation
which has made
payments to SG
Guterres?
October
18-3: On
Uganda what
are the
comments and
actions if any
of the SG on
that Uganda's
President
Yoweri
Museveni has
called his
leading
critic,
musician-turned-politician,
Bobi Wine, an
"enemy of the
country's
prosperity"?
October
18-4: On
Somalia and
Kenya on which
you have
refused to
answer Press
questions
despite or
because of the
UN presence
and spending
in both
countries,
what is the
SG's comment
and action on
that The
International
Court of
Justice (ICJ)
has postponed
the maritime
border case
between
Somalia and
Kenya to June
2020.
Somalia wants
the maritime
border to
continue along
the line of
the land
border to the
south-east,
while Kenya
wants the sea
border to go
in a straight
line
east
October
18-5: On
Malawi what
are the
comments and
actions if any
of the SG on
documented
evidence of
rape, sexual
harassment and
torture of
women by
police in an
area west of
the capital
Lilongwe where
an officer was
recently
killed during
opposition
protests.
From what the
victims say it
appears that
the police set
out to
humiliate and
torture people
who lived in
the area where
the officer
was killed
last
week
October
18-6: On press
freedom and
Tajikistan
what are the
comments and
actions if any
of the SG and
separately of
USG Melissa
Fleming on
ongoing
government
restrictions,
including
accreditation
denials,
including nine
cases when
journalists
and support
staff hadn't
received
accreditation,
to restrict
them as the UN
does Inner
City
Press?
October
18-7: On Peru
and sexual
exploitation
through
MONUSCO, as
Inner City
Press asked in
writing on
October 14 and
October 16,
before the
SG's October
16 meeting
with Peru's
FM, on UN
sexual
exploitation
and abuse -
alleged - this
is a request
that you
immediately
provide the
"if asked"
information
about the case
of sexual
exploitation
by Peru
military
observer in
DRC / MONUSCO
cursorily
e-announced
two days, and
that you
immediately
provide the
"granular"
information
that was
promised today
at noon to
correspondents
who barely ask
or publish
about this
topic. What is
being done for
the victims?
This is a
request for a
read out of
the Guterres -
Peru meeting
of October 16.
Also, again,
what is
Guterres'
answer, which
you refused to
provide after
banned Inner
City Press
asked you and
others in
writing on the
morning of
August 19 that
you
"immediately
provide all
if-asked and
additional
information
about the new
allegation of
SEA announced
of child rape
by a
Cameroonian
"peacekeeper"
in DR Congo,
and why this
has been left
so long
UNanswered -
and also why
previously
published
charges are no
longer in the
data to which
UN
Peacekeeping
Conduct and
Discipline
points,
including what
if being done
for these
victims and
any steps
taken to avoid
this constant
repetition of
abuse despite
the SG's
ostensible
commitments.
October
14-2: On
Cameroon, Ayuk
Tabe whose
refoulement
from Nigeria
was unremarked
on and
unopposed by
DSG Amina J.
Mohammad, the
SG and USG
Fleming,
states that in
SW and NW more
than 20.000
persons have
been killed
since 2016,
280 towns and
villages have
been
burnt,120.000
people are
seeking refuge
in the Federal
Republic of
Nigeria with 1
million more
people
internally
displaced in
Cameroon, and
that more than
4.5 million
people stand
the risk of
famine today
in the
Anglophone
regions of
Cameroon. What
are the UN's
numbers, after
Guterres took
Biya's golden
statue (where
is it?) and
Budget
Committee
favors and had
Inner City
Press roughed
up and banned
as it
questioned
Biya's PR
Tommo Monthe
outside the UN
Budget
Committee
meeting?
October
11-3: On
Honduras on
which you have
refused to
answer or
respond to
Inner City
Press' as it
covers in SDNY
the US v Tony
Hernandez
trial and has
asked you why
SG Guterres
did not even
bring up
corruption and
drug
trafficking
when he met
president JOH,
what now are
Guterres'
belated
comments and
actions if any
on that
Honduran
police
dispersed
hundreds of
demonstrators
with tear gas
on Wednesday
in Tegucigalpa
who demanded
the
resignation of
President Juan
Orlando
Hernandez,
suspected by
the American
courts of
collaborating
with the drug
traffickers?
September
4-8:
Immediately
explain the
single lawless
line from MALU
on 30 August
2019:
"Greetings
Matthew Lee
from Inner
City Press,
Your media
accreditation
request, with
reference no:
M5413398, has
been declined
for the
following
reason: Media
accreditation
was withdrawn
on 17 August
2018." This is
a formal
request for
the UN's
explanation of
grounds for
this denial.
And a demand
for answer to
these
questions,
which MALU has
declined to
answer:
Who made the
decision?
Where is the
list of those
accredited by
[MALU]?
What and to
whom is the
process of
appeal?
September
3-19: On press
freedom and
Cameroon, on
which you
refused to
answer on
August 13
despite saying
the office was
staffed and
answering, now
more specific:
what is the
SG's comment
and action if
any, post
golden statue,
to that Paul
Atanga Nji,
territorial
administration
minister, says
Cameroon's
journalists
are becoming
highly
unpatriotic.
"They have one
main
objective,
just to
sabotage
government
action, to
promote
secessionist
tendencies,"
said Nji. "I
urge them to
be
responsible.
Those who do
not want to
respect the
laws will be
booked as
being
recalcitrant
and will be
treated as
such"... Now
that the US
Court of
Appeals for
the Second
Circuit has
ruled against
public
officials
blocking
critics on
Twitter even
if the
official
claims their
account is
private, what
is the
justification
for UNSG
Spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric, with
the UN flag in
his profile
photo and
Guterres
promoting
content,
blocking Inner
City Press?
What is SG
Guterres'
response /
reaction to UN
DSS and
Guterres'
actions on
Inner City
Press being
listed in the
U.S. Press
Freedom
Tracker, here.
In the UN,
what has the
accountability
been for Lt
Ronald E.
Dobbins and
those those
refused on
camera to give
their names?
What is each
of yours -
particularly
the SG's -
response to
the letter
written and
sent by
Burundi
activist
Manisha
Lievin?
Immediately
explain the
single lawless
line from MALU
on 30 August
2019:
"Greetings
Matthew Lee
from Inner
City Press,
Your media
accreditation
request, with
reference no:
M5413398, has
been declined
for the
following
reason: Media
accreditation
was withdrawn
on 17 August
2018." This is
a formal
request for
the UN's
explanation of
grounds for
this denied,
and since
SGcentral, the
SG's chief of
staff and
Deputy SG and
USG Fleming
have not even
responded...
AGAIN,
immediately
explain how it
is legitimate
to ban from
enter into the
UN the media
that has been
asking about
these and
other
questions,
with no
hearing or
appeal - and
respond that
Inner City
Press on
August 24
applied like
100s or 1000s
of others to
cover the
upcoming UNGA
high level
week,
including now
formally
offering to
answer any
quesions the
UN / DSS might
have, having
been vetted
and accredited
elsewhere
since, as both
USG DSS
Michaud and
MALU have
formally been
timely
informed --
and how it is
possible that
a media that
closely covers
and uncovers
the UN could
be denied
entry, other
than (SG)
censorship.
May
15-3: On the
Public
Financial
Disclosures
for 2017
belatedly
published over
the weekend of
April 27-28,
please state
why Mohammed
Ibn Chambas,
like the
Executive
Secretary of
the UN
Biodiversity
Convention,
Cristiana
Paşca-Palmer,
UNICEF's
Henriette
Fore, with
documented
links to
ExxonMobil and
others, USG
Mark Lowcock
(undisclosed
while the
Secretariat's
speaker at the
UNSC Arria on
Cameroon),
UNCTAD's
Mukhisa
Kituyi, UN
Women's
Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka,
UNOG chief
Michael
Moller, UNDP
chief Achim
Steiner,
Heidi Mendoza,
Adama Dieng,
UN Security
chief Peter
Drennan,
Rosemary
DiCarlo and
Nicholas
Haysum, is not
even on the
list. OIOS
chief
Inga-Britt
Ahlenius
reported - why
not Mendoza?
Where IS
Mendoza? Isn't
it a bad
practice for
the UN's head
(anti)
genocide
definition
official to
conceal from
the public
even cursory
financial
disclosure?
Did DiCarlo
decline to
make any
public
disclosure
despite being
the UN's top
political
officer? What
is the even
plausible
applicability
of this line
from SG
Guterres' web
page: "Please
note that
given the
multi-cultural
environment of
the UN and the
often security
sensitive
locations
where UN staff
are either
working or
come from,
full public
disclosure may
not always be
a viable or
sensible
option for
certain staff
members"? Why
has Guterres
changed the
previous
system in a
which a
"choosing not
to disclose"
statement was
upload and
listed, to one
which helps
conceal who
reports and
who does
not?
Again, state
why
considering
the UN bribery
conviction of
Patrick Ho of
CEFC, and
CEFC's attempt
to purchase
the oil
company of
Gulbenkian
Foundation
which paid Mr.
Guterres in
2016 was
omitted from
his online
public
financial
disclosure
covering 2016,
and why
Guterres has
not even
started an
audit of CEFC
in the
UN.
,
