| UN Minders Told Press Not To
Approach Diplomats With Questions, Covering Up
Corruption
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Series,
Video, Reply
UNITED NATIONS,
March 21 – After
the UN evicted
and
restricted me I
tried, at
least, to be
persistent.
Some noticed
it - my friend
who'd come to
sign Corey of
the New York
Times in,
though said he
could never be
quoted, took
me aside and
said, “I
thought you'd
run out of
steam, or go
crazy - but
you're beating
them at their
own game.” But
was I? A guy
from West Africa
who worked for
the UN told
me, “You're
sure to win,
because you
have more
energy than
they do.” But
where had it
gotten me?
This day
it got
me to the UN
food bazaar
facing the
river,
sponsored by
Ambassadors'
wives and
presided over
by the First
Wife herself,
Mrs. Ban
Ki-moon, who'd
taken photos
with the Ng
Lap Seng
bribery team.
I stood and
Periscoped the
speeches, then
visited the
booths. A guy
from Eastern
Europe
tried to con people
into buying
four dollar
cookies. I got
from the China
booth two
steamed buns,
jowdzuh,
for a dollar,
and joked with
China's new
Ambassador
about it. It
brought back
memories.
I saw
the guards
eyeing me, as
if now they
thought I'd
make a run at
Ban Ki-moon.
Had I ever
done anything,
other than
write
articles? But
someone had
put the word
out. I was
targeted, and
something was
sure to
happen. I
chewed my
steamed bun
and chanted
softly: Ban Ki
Moon. Is
corrupt. Ban
Ki-moon. He is
corrupt. It
had become my
mantra.
Up at the
stakeout, on
the second
floor, things
hit a new low.
I got a Media
Accreditation
minder to take
me to in front
of the ECOSOC
chamber, a
meeting about
Security
Council
reform. The
same Caribbean
guard came
over, asked
why I was
there with my
pass, why I
was so
special. I
told him I had
a minder but
he wouldn't
let up.
Finally they
told me, you
shouldn't
approach or
speak to
diplomats.
What? “They
have to come
to one,” it
was added, as
if that made
it better.
UNCA scribes
floated by,
mostly just on
their way for
coffee or
something
stronger, who
knew, some
running after
Western
ambassadors
like the UK's
Rycroft, New
Zealand's von
Bohemen. This
was a total
double
standard.
All I
could do was
write it,
tweet the
headline, wait
for disbelief.
Minders in the
UN? Look but
do not touch?
***
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