As UN Bans
Inner City Press It E-Asks Spox Dujarric
of SG Covers Up UN South Sudan Coronavirus
Spread Cameroon Rapes China Fleming Bans
Press 2000+ UNanswered
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- CJR -
PFT
UN GATE / SDNY
COURT, April 6 – Inner
City Press on 5 July 2018 was
banned from entering the UN,
two day after it was
physically removed from
conducting interviews outside
meeting about the UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres' $6.7
billion budget.
Then
Guterres' Department of Global
Communication, run by Melissa
Fleming, issued a letter
banning Inner City Press from
the UN - for life. With no due
process, no right of
appeal. Guterres has put
the UN in the US Press Freedom
Tracker, here. Guterres'
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric
falsely promised on camera
that he would be answering
banned Inner City Press'
questions - but see below.
On April 6 long before another
penthouse apartment UN noon
briefing by Stephane "French
Whine" Dujarric, video here
and here
at which because another
finally asked it as Inner City
Press did after this
he said Guterres
has not been tested for
the virus, even as he covers
up its spread by the UN to and
in South Sudan with a national
staff bus without social
distancing, Inner City Press
submitted yet more questions (blocked by
Dujarric's screener Florencia
Soto Nino on +1
917 226 7816)
including asking for an
immediate response about the
UN South Sudan transcript
leaked to it and the basis on
which it continues to be
lawlessly banned from entering
to ask questions in person.
Inner City Press asked:
April 6-1: On the
Coronavirus Covid-19,
immediately provide SG
Guterres' comment and action
on the admission in UNMISS
Town Hall transcript sent to
banned Inner City Press by
disgusted staff that national
staff on UN bus had no social
distancing, and everything
else int he transcript -
immediately. Belatedly provide
SG comment and action if any
on that President Paul Biya's
silence in the face of the
coronavirus crisis is causing
controversy in Cameroon. Why
did Guterres list Cameroon on
his April 3 bragging, when
Biya's Army continues killing?
The inhabitants of Okoyong
village in Mamfe, South West
region are still mourning the
brutal killing of four boys by
government soldiers.
Sources say the boys were
pulled from a restaurant and
killed with live ammunition.?
On WHO's Bruce Aylward
blatantly avoiding question
about Taiwan and virus
response, which Inner City
Press asked USG Fleming about
online on March 28. On the
egregious State of Emergency
Law which poses a grave threat
to human rights in Cambodia?
On that in Uganda On March 25,
2020, the government banned
public transport and non-food
markets. Prior to that it had
closed all bars and instituted
a mandatory quarantine in
hotels for Ugandans returning
from high risk countries, for
which those in quarantine
initially had to pay for. The
government has also closed
public court hearings.
On March 30, President Yoweri
Museveni announced several
additional measures, including
a nighttime curfew, banning
the use of all privately-owned
vehicles, and closing shopping
malls and non-food stores for
14 days. The next day,
Richard Karemire, the Ugandan
army spokesman, announced that
the police, the army, and an
armed community-policing
paramilitary group called the
Local Defense Unit (LDU),
coordinated by the Ugandan
army, would conduct patrols to
help enforce the directive.
However, security forces have
used excessive force,
including beating, shooting,
and arbitrarily detaining
people across the
country. Please
immediately state why SG
Guterres did not ensure, or
apparently even inquire, if UN
staff and the families had
needed masks before in a
publicity stunt giving them
away to Penny A and the City's
UN office? Outraged
staff have asked banned Inner
City Press. And on the March
25 fundraiser, why is there no
disclosure of USG Melissa
Fleming among the most recent
public financial disclosures?
Why none for Mark Lowcock?
None for Henriette Fore? How
can the UN raise money on this
opaque basis? On
Burundi, what are the comments
and action if any of SG
Guterres and USG Fleming on
that Burundian member of
Parliament Anglebert
Ngendabanka threatens to
physically eliminate (“crush
the head” according to his
words) journalists from the
press? What of that the World
Health Organisation (WHO) has
not shared with member states
information Taiwan has
provided on the coronavirus
including details on its cases
and prevention methods,
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said
on Monday (March 30),
ratcheting up its complaints?
And on that "Hong Kong’s
government said public
broadcaster RTHK breached its
charter by asking the World
Health Organization about
Taiwan’s membership, a move
democracy advocates criticized
as a new government effort to
muzzle the press. The
Commerce and Economic
Development Bureau said
Thursday that Radio Television
Hong Kong’s interview with WHO
official Bruce Aylward
violated the principle that
Taiwan belongs to “one China.”
A now-viral video of Aylward’s
awkward exchange with the RTHK
presenter put renewed focus on
China’s efforts to prevent
Taiwan from cooperating with
the global health agency
during the
pandemic.
ADVERTISING “The
secretary holds the view that
the presentation in that
episode of the aforesaid
program has breached the
one-China principle and the
purposes and mission of RTHK
as a public service
broadcaster as specified in
the charter,” the bureau said,
referring to Commerce
Secretary Edward Yau. “It is
common knowledge that the WHO
membership is based on
sovereign states. RTHK, as a
government department and a
public service broadcaster,
should have proper
understanding of the above
without any deviation.”
An RTHK spokesperson said the
station had reviewed the
program and found no violation
of its charter. Taiwan was
referred to as “a place” in
the episode and no stance was
taken, the spokesperson said."
What is SG Guterres' comment
and action if any of China
sinking the Vietnamese fishing
vessel?
April 6-1a: On
the UN system's development
programs, what are the
responses of SG Guterres and
separately DSF Amina J.
Mohammed to the UK DFID letter
Inner City Press has published
that "UK DFID's Nick Dyer in
an April 1 letter to Steiner
obtained by Inner City
Press: "Examples of UNDP
reform behaviours reported by
DFID country included: • UNDP
making the transition for RCs
challenging – denying the RC
access to their vehicles etc;
• UNDP Res Reps not engaging
effectively in UNSDCF
processes; • UNDP making
deliberate attempts to
undermine other agencies -
threatening their space with
host Governments; • UNDP
senior staff referring to the
reforms as a “tick box
exercise”; • Senior UNDP staff
being vocally sceptical about
the reforms; UNDP staff
generally projecting a sense
of inevitability about reforms
rather than enthusiasm, and
some bemusement; and •
Generally, demonstrating a low
level of buy-in to the
reforms. We’ve also heard that
UNDP has not cooperated as
enthusiastically as some other
entities with the Business
Innovation Group workstreams,
in particular on the common
fleet management system, and
that as a result, this
promising workstream is being
closed down."
April 6-1b: What
are SG Guterres' comments and
actions if any on the
indictment of Maduro on drug
charges, and again what were
Gutterres' discussions with
Honduras president JOH, whose
brother has been convicted in
the SDNY of drug trafficking
(sentencing now set April 15
or May 15) and has himself
been alleged to be a
conspirator? What about the
money your office bragged
about from Honduras, given the
proof JOH took money from El
Chapo? Any comment on the
reported death of former
Honduras president (also
convicted of FIFA corruption)
Rafael Callejas?
April 6-2: On
Cameroon, what are the
comments or actions if any of
SG Guterres after he took
credit for one group's
ceasefire in Southern Cameroon
on (1) the government not
being among 52 sign ons, and
(2) that Monday, two
civilians, a boy and a man
were shot at the Mile 12 area
in Bamenda by soldiers? Now,
specifically, that Njafect
Felix and Febkwi Henry have
been shot dead in Nwa, Donga
Mantung by Paul Biya's forces.
The soldiers surrounded the
entire village, harassed
civilians and extorted money
and valuables. The 2 killed
were accused of having
alliances with separatist
fighters? On that
inhabitants of Okoyong village
in Mamfe, South West region
are still mourning the brutal
killing of four boys by
government soldiers.
Sources say the boys were
pulled from a restaurant and
killed with live ammunition?
On that President Paul Biya's
silence in the face of the
coronavirus crisis is causing
controversy in Cameroon. It
was his Prime Minister who
announced measures to combat
the epidemic. Mr. Biya has not
yet spoken, unlike his
counterparts in neighboring
countries? on the holding of
an "election" in NW and SW
during this Coronavirus
crisis? Why did Guterres "take
note" of Guinea vote, but not
Cameroon? What is his comment
and action if any on that the
personal engagement of
President Paul Biya in the
fight against COVID-19 has
been questioned by most
Cameroonians who say he has
been very absent compared to
his colleagues accross the
Continent. President Paul Biya
apart from a recent tweet
during which he called on
citizens to be calm and
respect government’s measures,
has neither addressed the
issue nor disbursed financial
assistance promised by
government to effectively
fight COVID-19. Yet
again, immediately
disclose whose question was
cited by Stephane Dujarric in
the in-person noon briefing as
having been asked triggering
condemnation of one-death
bombing attributed, rightly or
wrongly, to non Paul Biya
forces? How is your approach
not propaganda, censorship and
a cover up of the Biya's
government's mass
killings?
April 6-2a: On
China, what are the comments
and actions if any of SG
Guterres on that three Chinese
human rights lawyers, Mr. Ding
Jiaxi, Mr. Zhang Zhongshun and
Mr. Dai Zhenya, have been held
by authorities in a form of
detention called Residential
Surveillance in a Designated
Location (RSDL) since they
were arrested for attending an
informal weekend gathering in
the city of Xiamen. At the
gathering, they discussed the
situation of civil society and
politics in China with other
lawyers and activists? On that
Taiwan's foreign minister
Joseph Wu on Saturday slammed
the Hong Kong government for
threatening press freedom
after one of its officials
reprimanded a broadcaster for
an interview in which a World
Health Organization (WHO)
official was pressed on
Taiwan's
membership. "It's
a disgrace to see this is
happening to Hong Kong, a
place that used to shine as a
beacon of press freedom in
East Asia," Wu said?
April 2-3: On
Guinea, what are the comments
and actions of SG Guterres,
beyond "taking note," on that
opposition activists in Guinea
say at least 10 people have
been killed in street clashes
during Sunday's controversial
referendum on a new
constitution.
April 6-3a: On
the DRC and total lack of
trust in the UN, what are the
comment and actions of SG
Guterres on reports that
"civilians in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) are resisting the
deployment of United Nations
peacekeepers despite imminent
attacks by rebel groups in the
region.
April 2-3b: On
Qatar, what are the comments
and actions if any of SG
Guterres on that nine migrant
labourers working on the
stadiums for the 2022 World
Cup in Qatar died in 2019, the
“supreme committee” organising
the event has announced,
bringing the number of deaths
on World Cup projects to 34
April 2-4: On UN
bribery, again, what are the
comments or actions if any of
SG Guterres on the March 11
appellate argument by
convicted UN briber Patrick Ho
of CEFC China Energy in the 2d
Circuit Court of Appeals? Why
has SG Guterres not amended
his disclosure covering 2016
which omit payments from
Gulbenkian Foundation which
tried to sell its oil company
to CEFC? Separately, again,
why is there no disclosure of
USG Melissa Fleming among the
most recent public financial
disclosures? Why none for Mark
Lowcock? None for Henriette
Fore? How can the UN raise
money on this opaque
basis?
April 2-5: On
corruption and Angola, on
which you refused to answer
yesterday, what are the
comments and actions if any of
SG Guterres on the Luanda
Leaks exposure of Isabel dos
Santos of Angola, and as Inner
City Press has repeatedly
asked, what are his comments
and action on the repeated
retweeting of Isabel dos
Santos' denials by his close
staffer Aguinaldo Baptista?
After, for example, exposure
of the corrupt urban
development project near
Luanda for which some 3,000
families were driven from
their homes to make way for
the development? And now after
The Portuguese bank EuroBic
has announced it will end its
business relationship with
Africa's richest woman, Isabel
dos Santos.
April 2-6:
Immediately describe the role
of Angola and the dos Santos
family in the campaign of
Antonio Guterres to become
UNSG.
April 2-7: On UN
sexual exploitation and abuse
- alleged - as Inner City
Press requested before noon
briefing on March 9,
immediately provide all
if-asked / further information
immediately provide the
if-asked information about the
new sex abuse cases data
dumped at 11 am on March 9,
involving sexual abuse by
peacekeeper from Cameroon in
CAR, Pakistan in Darfur,
Tanzania in DRC, and
still UN rape in DRC by
Guatemala "peacekeeper," and
abuse by Senegal in Haiti, and
Gabon and Mauritania in CAR,
etc and as Inner City Press
asked in writing in 2019
without response, the if-asked
information for the report of
UN rape in Darfur data dumped
to Conduct and Discipline
website on the morning of
January 17 and the "if asked"
information about the two new
cases of sexual exploitation
in CAR by Cameroonian UN
"Police" that were put online
after 5 pm on December 30 (a
day when you refused to answer
7 questions including on
previous UN rapes), and the
(Dec 19) rape case by a UN
Volunteer in DRC in June 2019
- what nationality? What's
been done for the victim(s)?
and the Dec 9 sex abuse cases
in CAR by Gabon, DRC and
Morocco UN "peacekeepers, and
the Dec g about the
Office of the Special Envoy
for the Sahel, and the two
more November 26, 3 pm cases
of sexual exploitation in CAR
by Cameroon troops in
September 2019 (!)
April 6-8: On SG
Guterres' Town Hall in Geneva,
on which you refused Inner
City Press' Dec 20 question,
what is your summary of what
SG Guterres said given that
Inner City Press has now
publishing more of it? Please
explain SG Guterres' statement
that interns should not (ever)
be paid, and how this is not
create unfair advantage for
the most affluent?
April 6-9: As
previously and repeated asked,
where has UNSG Antonio
Guterres been for the past
week(s), and how much public
money has he spent? Is he
going directly to and from
Pakistan? Previously from
Addis? Or any stop overs? At
what cost? Now, immediately
disclose any and all costs to
the UN including UN Security
on the New York trip by
Catarina Vaz Pinto Guterres on
February 27 - March 1 (or
longer).
April 6-10: On
press freedom and COVID-19 and
Taiwan / China, what are the
comments and actions if any of
SG Guterres and separately USG
Melissa Fleming on that
Taiwan's foreign minister
Joseph Wuon Saturday slammed
the Hong Kong government for
threatening press freedom
after one of its officials
reprimanded a broadcaster for
an interview in which a World
Health Organization (WHO)
official was pressed on
Taiwan's
membership. "It's
a disgrace to see this is
happening to Hong Kong, a
place that used to shine as a
beacon of press freedom in
East Asia," Wu said..
More
here.
***
Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
exclusive bonus material on our Patreon
page. Click
here to become a patron.
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA
Mail: Box 20047, Dag
Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other, earlier Inner City Press are
listed here,
and some are available in the ProQuest
service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright 2006-2020 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com for
|