By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 23 --
Reform in
Myanmar was
ostensibly the
topic when
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon spoke
to the press
on Monday. He
made public
that he will
go visit the
country at the
end of the
week
-- his Office
has already
chosen which
reporters can
go witness
this
trip -- and
praised Thein
Sein. Then his
deputy
spokesman
Eduardo
Del Buey said
a few
questions
would be
taken.
The
first question
chosen was on
Syria; Ban
said he spoke
with Syrian
Ambassador
Bashar
Ja'afari on
Friday, and
that Ja'afari
would go to
Damascus to
convey
Ban's views on
air assets. At
the same time
Ja'afari was
speaking two
blocks away in
the Security
Council,
denouncing Ban
and Political
Affairs chief
Lynn Pascoe
for not
mentioning the
Golan Heights
in
their Middle
East
presentation.
The
second
question
was a soft
ball on North
Korea, the
same question
Inner City
Press
had asked Del
Buey at noon
without
getting an
answer. This
time, Ban
urged
Pyongyang to
comply with
Security
Council
resolution.
That's
it, Del
Buey
indicated.
Inner City
Press asked,
"Question on
Myanmar?"
Then Inner
City Press
asked about
Aung San Suu
Kyi declining
to take
the seat she
won in
Parliament,
not wanting to
have to taken
an oath
to "safeguard"
the
Army-created
constitution.
Ban
said he "took
note" of Thein
Sein's
position --
which is that
the oath will
be
required --
and hopes for
a "harmonious
solution."
Inner
City Press
also asked
about the
Karen areas
where voting
was not even
allowed.
Ban answerd
about another
group, the
Karen, adding
that he hoped
the
Karen get the
same
treatment.
Ban
said he will
have
opportunities
while in
Myanmar. But
how will he be
covered? When
Inner City
Press became
aware Ban
might travel
to Myanmar, it
responded with
a request to
cover the
trip. Last
week Ban's
office
replied six
day ago on
April 18:
"Thank
you
for your
interest in
participating
in the
Secretary-General's
forthcoming
visit to
Myanmar. The
response was
overwhelming.
Unfortunately
we are unable
to offer your
organization a
place at
this time.
Thank you
again for your
interest, and
we hope you
will
have another
opportunity to
travel with
the
Secretary-General.
As no
official
announcement
has been made
about this
visit, we ask
that you
do not report
on it until an
official
announcement
has been
made."
Done
and done.
Watch
this site.
