UN Dodges Gypsy Questions as Camps in Naples Burn in Seeming Blind-Spot

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1romanaples051908.html

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 -- Gypsies and immigrants were attacked last week in Naples and elsewhere in Italy, and apparently no part of the UN system had anything to say about it. On May 16 at the UN's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked about " reports of mass arrests and also violence against immigrants in Italy, and in Naples, there was mob violence, and the Government has started deporting people very quickly. Has anyone in the UN system had anything to say about this?"

Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson Michele Montas replied, "No, not yet." But as Friday ended, there was still no comment. Over the weekend, the Spokesperson was quoted by UN News that Ban would go to Myanmar, then the Spokesperson's office demanded that UN News Service take down the article. Still no word on the burning of homes around Naples, nor the mass deportations. Nor on Monday. What gives?

The UN has been the venue of talks about the rights of gypsies, Roma and Sinti. Inner City Press has interviewed top officials of the UN's refugee agency, who said they are constantly monitoring and speaking out on attacks on immigrants. Why nothing on this one?

A month after Ban Ki-moon became Secretary-General, a group of Roma and Sinti came to the UN, including the Association of Roma in Poland, the Kiev-based International Charitable Organization of Roma Women Fund, the Budapest-based European Roma Rights Center, the Council of NGOs of the Slovak Romani Communities, and the Committee for the Compensation for the Romani Holocaust.

Inner City Press asked what they would like the UN to do, and what they knew of Ban Ki-moon's position. Video here. In response, Romani Rose summarized the petition and requests the delegation was delivering, along with a book describing the "horrifying" refugee camps for Roma, including Plemetina, run by the UN in the Mitrovica region of Kosovo. The next day, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman for his position on the Roma petition. She said she couldn't yet say, they haven't received it. Video here. Is it still somehow missing?

Or could the UN be running scared, of criticizing certain countries? Italy's Berlusconi government has already bristled at a critique from Spain. Still, the UN Secretariat routinely expresses concern and calls for restraint. Why not here?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1romanaples051908.html