By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 29 --
When the
Myanmar trip
of UN
Secretary
General
Ban Ki-moon
was made
public a week
ago, Inner
City Press
asked Ban
"Aung
San
Suu Kyi says
that there is
a standoff
between
National
League for
Democracy
(NLD) members
and the
military-created
constitution.
What
is your view
of that? Also,
of the Kachin
area where
people were
not
allowed to
vote in this
most recent
election - are
you going to
look
at that while
you are
there?"
Ba
downplayed
the
constitutional
fight -- which
a week later
has still not
been
solved -- and
dodged the
Kachin
question by
answering
about the
Karin.
Inner City
Press despite
its timely
request was
not among the
media
permitted to
cover Ban's
trip in
Myanmar. But
assurances
were
given that
announcements
would be made
throughout the
trip.
Well,
Ban Ki-moon
is already in
Myanmar, and
the first wire
reports were
about his
statement
there about
his statement
on Syria, not
the Burmese
problems he is
ostensibly
there for.
Amazingly,
Ban's
spokesperson's
office even as
of 9 pm New
York time on
April 29 has
not a single
transcript or
statement from
Ban in
Myanmar, but
rather
statement from
his stop in
India, back on
April 27. Even
on
Maharashtra,
Ban had to revise.
Does
Ban not only
want to
control, and
make less
critical, the
coverage of
his Myanmar
trip -- but
even to make
such coverage
impossible by
those his team
did not vet,
at least until
he leaves the
country? As
one wag asked,
is Ban making
of the UN
another
Myanmar?
We
will be
covering this
trip, despite
this from
Ban's
Secretariat
"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. Here's
from Ban's
April 23 Press
encounter:
Inner
City
Press: At
least one
question on
Myanmar? Aung
San Suu Kyi
says
that there is
a standoff
between
National
League for
Democracy
(NLD)
members and
the
military-created
constitution.
What is your
view of
that? Also, of
the Kachin
area where
people were
not allowed to
vote
in this most
recent
election - are
you going to
look at that
while
you are there?
S-G
Ban
Ki-moon: First
of all, about
the first part
of your
question. I
sincerely hope
that they will
be able to
find a
mutually
agreeable,
harmonious way
to have smooth
proceedings of
this
Parliament.
They
have gone
through very
historic
by-elections
recently that
was
reflected by
the will of
the Myanmar
people. I have
taken note of
what President
Thein Sein
said about
this matter
and I hope
that they
will be able
to find a
resolution on
this issue
harmoniously
for the
further
democratization
of their
country.
On
the
second part of
your question,
I am
encouraged by
all of the
recent
movement in
trying to
reconcile with
the ethnic
groups,
particularly
with the Karen
National
Union. I hope
that the same
will
be emulated by
the Kachin
group. All in
all, it is
important that
Myanmar
authorities
reach out and
reconcile with
all the groups
for
their smooth
transition
towards a
further and
fuller
democratization
process. I
will have many
opportunities
of discussing
this matter,
starting with
President
Thein Sein, to
Aung San Suu
Kyi, to
speakers
of Parliament.
I will have
another
opportunity of
engaging the
ministers and
economic and
social-related
leaders there.
Thank you
very much.
Thank you.
We'll
see, as much
as possible or
permitted.
Watch this
site.
