Amid
Eswatini Abuse Inner City
Press Asked UN in June, Now
Censor Guterres Whispers
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Video here,
Vine here
UN
GATE, July 6 -- Amid
the crackdown in
eSwatini, beginning
in June 2021 Inner
City Press emailed
questions to
Stephane Dujarric,
the lead spokesman
of UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres, and
to Guterres'
Global
Communicator
Melissa
Fleming.
First,
"On eSwatini,
what are the
comments and
actions if any
of SG Guterres
on that the
internet has
been shut off
and a curfew
imposed in
Eswatini, the
southern
African
kingdom
formerly known
as
Swaziland.
Security
forces are on
high alert as
protesters
demanding
political
reforms have
vowed to step
up their
demonstrations.
A journalist
told the BBC
that overnight
there were
violent
confrontations
in the city of
Manzini and
that the
country’s
borders and
airport remain
closed.
Days of
protests have
left several
people in
hospital,
businesses in
the capital,
Mbabane,
remain closed
after some,
including
those linked
to the king,
were
destroyed.
Sporadic
demonstrations
over poor
wages and
political
repression
have flared up
over the years
in Eswatini -
this most
recent one was
sparked by the
death of law
student.
While the
government
says his death
was the result
of a car
accident,
protesters say
he was
murdered by
police.
The protests
have
highlighted
long-running
discontent in
one of the
world’s last
remaining
absolute
monarchies.
King Mswati
III, who came
to the throne
35 years ago,
rules by
decree." No
answer.
Then:
"On eSwatini,
on which each
of you refused
Inner City
Press' June 30
question, now
what are the
comments and
actions of SG
Guterres and
his "team" on
that . South
Africa is
urging "total
restraint"
from the
security
forces in
neighbouring
Eswatini,
where
activists say
eight people
have been
killed during
protests.
The small,
landlocked
nation is the
last absolute
monarchy in
Africa - and
pro-democracy
demonstrators
are demanding
political
reforms.
"The South
African
government
calls on the
security
forces to
exercise total
restraint and
protect the
lives and
property of
the people,"
read the
statement from
the foreign
ministry.
"We are
particularly
concerned by
reports of
loss of life
and
destruction of
properties."
The internet
has been shut
off." Still
nothing. For a
week.
Now
on July 6, the
1200th day
Guterres has
banned Inner
City Press
from the UN,
this: "The
Secretary-General
continues to
follow
developments
in the Kingdom
of Eswatini
with
increasing
concern,
notably
clashes
between
security
forces and
demonstrators
that have led
to deaths and
injuries.
The
Secretary-General
reiterates his
call on all
stakeholders
to refrain
from violence
and address
their
differences
through
inclusive and
meaningful
dialogue.
The
Secretary-General
underlines the
importance of
enabling all
Emaswati to
exercise their
civil and
political
rights
peacefully and
urges the
security
forces to
exercise
utmost
restraint.
The
Secretary-General
welcomes
recent
efforts, led
by the
Southern
African
Development
Community
(SADC), to
find a
solution to
the current
situation. The
United Nations
remains
committed to
working with
the Government
and the people
of Eswatini,
and all
partners, to
ensure a
peaceful
resolution.
Stéphane
Dujarric,
Spokesman for
the
Secretary-General
New York, 6
July 2021."
B.S. We'll
have more on
this, and on
reversing
Guterres'
censorship.
No
answers,
despite
Dujarric's
previous on
camera
commitment /
lie about
answering
Inner City
Press'
questions.
Video here.
Worse,
Dujarric
repeated and
expanding on
the lies on
September 19,
video here,
claiming that
Inner City
Press is in
touch with UN
Media
Accreditation
- while
Melissa
Fleming has
not answered a
single letter
and has banned
the active
Press - 81,000
Twitter
followers and
counting,
covering the
courts and
#6ix9ine and
Halkbank and
OneCoin and
Doe v. ICE and
the Honduras
narco regime
Guterres also
covers up for
- from
entering to
cover the UNGA
week.
Guterres'
UN sent this
out:
"From:
malu malu [at]
un.org
Date: Fri, Aug
30, 2019 at
4:23 PM
Subject: U.N.
eAccreditation
request for
Matthew Lee
Ref # M5413398
has been
declined
To: Inner City
Press:
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
Kafka-esque,
and corrupt.
We will have
more, much
more, on this.
***
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
Past (and future?)
UN Office: S-303,
UN, NY 10017 USA
For now: 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
|