UNITED NATIONS, March 20 – Despite the UN being exposed for its corruption with Ng Lap Seng, it hadn't cleaned anything up. I'd seen an invite to an auction to be held in the UN's Delegates Dining Room, the sponsors of which just happened to be the biggest contractors at the UN, from construction to catering. I emailed an RSVP and was immediately asked, Why do you want to come?
So I tried to stake it out. First there was another disarmament event with Michael Douglas. It was on the third floor but when I tried to go through the doors, one of Ban Ki-moon's guards blocked me. “This is open only for the Secretary General,” the guard told me. I pulled back - then saw another wire service journalists come and and be shepherded right through the door. I went the long way around and started filming, starting with the guard. He looked uncomfortable, glared, called another guard over and pointed at me.
It struck me: in standing up for my rights, I was getting into more and more problems with the guards. Maybe this was one of their plans, to get me bound up in this. These guards could write up reports and their would be a full file against me when I re-applied for accreditation. Back in 2012 I'd asked for the right for all journalists to see the files against them, but been denied. The UN was and is a joke.
Ban left directly from the disarmament event for the other event, heading first for a reception in what's called the Qatari Lounge on the first floor facing the river. I stood in the hall outside taking notes. An officious woman with a clipboard kept looking at me, then put her clipboard down. It said, “Qatari event.” So Qatar was involved. I took out my phone - I didn't live-stream, seeing where that had gotten me, but saved the video for possible later use. Who were these tuxedo-ed people traipsing around the UN? This was Ban's UN. And I was a fly on the wall, now pushed out into the open, about to be swatted.
So I tried to stake it out. First there was another disarmament event with Michael Douglas. It was on the third floor but when I tried to go through the doors, one of Ban Ki-moon's guards blocked me. “This is open only for the Secretary General,” the guard told me. I pulled back - then saw another wire service journalists come and and be shepherded right through the door. I went the long way around and started filming, starting with the guard. He looked uncomfortable, glared, called another guard over and pointed at me.
It struck me: in standing up for my rights, I was getting into more and more problems with the guards. Maybe this was one of their plans, to get me bound up in this. These guards could write up reports and their would be a full file against me when I re-applied for accreditation. Back in 2012 I'd asked for the right for all journalists to see the files against them, but been denied. The UN was and is a joke.
Ban left directly from the disarmament event for the other event, heading first for a reception in what's called the Qatari Lounge on the first floor facing the river. I stood in the hall outside taking notes. An officious woman with a clipboard kept looking at me, then put her clipboard down. It said, “Qatari event.” So Qatar was involved. I took out my phone - I didn't live-stream, seeing where that had gotten me, but saved the video for possible later use. Who were these tuxedo-ed people traipsing around the UN? This was Ban's UN. And I was a fly on the wall, now pushed out into the open, about to be swatted.
