Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/ossg1dodges012809.html
UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- On hotspots ranging from Sri Lanka to the Congo, Afghanistan through Kosovo to Burma, the United Nations' communications strategy appears to be to focus on good news, or news that makes the UN itself look good, and then refuse to answer questions. Wednesday at the UN's noon briefing Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe claimed that press releases she had read out loud about Sri Lanka and the Congo answered unrelated and more difficult questions. Video here, from Minute 15:04.
Inner City Press asked for confirmation or denial that UN national staff members were fired at by the Sri Lankan government, a senior advisor to which Ban Ki-moon met with earlier this week. Ms. Okabe said she had read a statement on Sri Lanka. But the statement was unrelated, blaming the Tamil Tigers for not letting injured people flee. Video here, from Minute 5:15. Did the government, with whom Ban Ki-moon just met, fire on UN staff? She would not say.
Likewise on the Congo, where the UN spends $2 billion a year, Inner City Press asked for confirmation or denial of reports that the integration of the CNDP rebels into the Congolese army, already praised as good news by the UN, has in fact been postponed. Okabe said she had read a statement, and chided Inner City Press for missing it. But the statement dealt only with the UN belatedly being allowed to play a role in the joint Congolese - Rwandan assault on a different rebel group, the FDLR. Just because a country is mentioned by the UN, most often in a light flattering to the organization, doesn't mean that questions have been answered.
At Wednesday's noon briefing, 14 of Ms. Okabe's 18 minutes were devoted to reading out press releases. Video here.
The previous day, Okabe had reneged on a commit to take questions after the UN system guest, Thoraya Obaid, had finished delivering her good news of the day. Inner City Press afterwards asked a simple question, for confirmation or denial of a quote by the UN's envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, that the UN Mission there will increase from 1500 to 2000, with a budget rising from $81 million in 2008 to $150 million in 2009. Twenty four hours later, no answer had been provided, so Inner City Press asked again. That's up to the General Assembly, Okabe said. Is that a denial of the UN's Kai Eide's quote? And why wasn't that answers, such as it is, sent to Inner City Press?
Another previously asked question, about Serbia's protest to Ban Ki-moon about a new Kosovo security force, was answered only be saying Ban received the letter. Inner City Press asked on Wednesday, what was the response. I don't have anything on that, Okabe said. When I do, it will be sent to you.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/ossg1dodges012809.html
