By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 10 -- The night before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon left on Sunday for Norway, he refused a press question and had his "handlers" push a reporter.
This happened two weeks after Ban rushed to apologize to Turkish prime minister Ergodan after three UN Security officers were injured by Ergodan's guards.
Further reporting by Inner City Press finds that after Ban's fast apology, beyond the complaints that Inner City Press quoted, there was a proposal to walk off the job, during the General Debate, barely averted. Some leadership. So now who apologizes?
Ban Ki-Moon doesn't deign to talk about pop stars. On Saturday, the United Nations' secretary general observed the 20th anniversary of South Korea's admission to the UN with a press reception at its consulate on E. 45th St. Among the guests were some Korean pop acts, including DBSK and 4 Minute. Ban thanked them for coming and accepted a CD from one artist, but his receptiveness did not extend to what we think was a legit question about his teeny bopper guests. When The News' David Yi asked Ban why it was important for the acts to be there, he reports the UN chief turned away and three of his handlers "pushed" him aside. "How dare you ask a question like that to the UN secretary general?" said one. Seriously? [Click here, last item.]
It's strange that Ban and his handlers would think pop music questions beneath him, when he similarly did photo ops with teeny bopper singers while he was in South Korea.
On Monday in a UN noon briefing which saw only two questions, Inner City Press asked about Cambodia, where Ban has had little to say about the crackdown on human rights and accountability, and if it is true that Ban will return to New York on October 12, only to re-cross the Atlantic Ocean to go to Switzerland on October 16.
Ban's Deputy Spokesman said he wasn't ready to confirm, then did so 40 minutes later. Who else will get roughed up? Watch this site.
