Ban Ki-moon

ICP Asks UN Why Calls Burundi Talks Constructive As Media Targeted, Ban's UN in Denial, Kaye Q&A;

• Report rights infringement
• published: 26 Oct 2016
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In Burundi, NGOs Targeted, ICP Asks UN, Which Calls Talks Constructive By Matthew Russell Lee UNITES NATIONS, October 25 -- Amid warnings in Burundi of the risk of genocide, when UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 24 met with the country's foreign minister Alain Aime Nyamitwe, Inner City Press went to cover it as closely as possible. The meeting went less than twenty minutes, but took nearly three hours for Ban's office to summarize. Inner City Press live-streamed the handshake and book signing on Periscope, as it did Alain Aime Nyamitwe's speech in the General Assembly hall. But when Ban's office issued a read-out, seemingly negotiated with Burundi, it did not mention the deployment of 228 UN Police, much less the UN's risk of genocide report. Now in Burundi, with Ban Ki-moon silent except for his planned run for South Korea president, it seems the government has arrested journalists Julia Steers, an American, and Gildas Yihundimpundu, a Burundian journalist (CPJ deems his a fixer) whose station Radio Bonesha was burned down and closed by the government -- while Ban praised Nkurunziza for “re-opening” two pro-government stations. On October 25, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Burundi, there've been… there's been a widely publicized, at least in Burundi, order banning and removing the permits of a number of NGOs [non-governmental organizations], including a human rights group run by Pierre Claver Mbonimpa and a number of other ones that are basically part of what's called the moderate opposition. So I'm wondering, you said yesterday that the Special Adviser's meetings with the Foreign Minister were constructive. Did they address the… the… the disaccrediting of… of… of a large proportion of civil society? Spokesman: We're very disappointed by the Government's decision to withdraw the permits of a number of NGOs, including the ones you mentioned. And our message to the Government is to reconsider it. ICP Question: But what was constructive about the talks then? Because I asked you about the journalists, and then I asked you about this one. So is there some secret kernel of constructivity that took place? Spokesman: The constructivity is, I think, in diplomatic terms, can be interpreted in many different ways. The fact that the talks took place in a constructive atmosphere, I think, says it all. On October 24, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: some journalists were arrested, reportedly while investigating mass graves. It was an American journalist, J.C. [Julia] Steers, and a Burundian journalist, Gildas, and their driver. This has gone out all over the world. There's a list that's emerged of enemies of the State put out by the CNDD-FDD. .. what about the lists that emerged? Are there any steps being taken by the UN to make sure the UN itself doesn't target media that are listed on the list? Spokesman: The UN is not in the business of targeting media. Really? See this, and today's Swiss Radio and TV, translated into English here. On UN's Press Eviction, SR Kaye Asks If There Was Due Process, Ban's Spox Says “Adjudicated" By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- How did the UN under outgoing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his should-be-outgoing "Public Information" chief Cristina Gallach pretextually evict the critical Press from its long time office and confine it to minders, hindering further reporting on their corruption? A just-filed UN report on press freedom (A/HRC/33/32, here) includes both UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye's and Michel Forst's joint letter to Gallach, here, and her belated and untruthful response, here. Gallach says Inner City Press “trespassed” without stating that it was the UN Press Briefing Room in which the noon briefings are held. Gallach does not mention that there was no sign that said “closed” nor that even Ban's outgoing spokesman Dujarric admits the arrangement was only oral. On October 21, Inner City Press asked Special Rapporteur Kaye about his report. Video here. He said he would like to explore the process: if the UN offers due process to journalists. Inner City Press pointed out, for his inquiry, that it was never asked, before on February 19 having its accreditation and badge stripped, WHY it sought to cover the event in the UN Press Briefing Room on January 19. (It was to pursue the UN bribery / Ng Lap Seng story, which is ongoing.) So an hour later, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spoksman Dujarric about what Kaye has said, what due process exists or may in the future exist. But Dujarric cut the question off -- “it's about you” -- and said flatly, your case has been adjudicated. Really? By one unaccountable individual, Cristina Gallach, who never allowed any opportunity to be heard? With no appeals process?