By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon video
UNITED NATIONS, September 4 – When Nikki Haley spoke last on North Korea's hydrogen bomb test in the UN Security Council on US Labor Day, called for a vote on new sanctions on Kim Jong Un's government next Monday, September 11. She had at the begin of the meeting recounted 24 years of history. (Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft on his way in about Myanmar and the Rohingya, here.)
Russia's Ambassador Nebenzia called Haley's an "excursion" into history and reiterated his country's and China's freeze for freeze proposal. China's Liu Jieyi said, as transcribed by Inner City Press: "The Chinese government resolutely opposes and strongly condemns the nuclear test of the DPRK in violation of the UNSC resolutions. Achieving the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and maintaining the nuclear non-proliferation system and peace and stability in Northeast Asia, this is the firm stance of the Chinese government…we strongly urge the DPRK to face up swuarely to the firm will of the international community on the issue of the denuclearization of the peninsula and earnestly abide by the resolutions of the council…The situation of the peninsula is deteriorating constantly as we speak, falling into a vicious circle. The situation must be resolved peacefully. China will never allow chaos and war on the peninsula. The parties concerned must strengthen their sense of urgency…take practical measures, make joint efforts together to ease the situation, restart the dialogue and talks, and prevent further deterioration of the situation on the peninsula. The proposal by China and Russia of a 2 track approach, which promotes the denuclearization of the peninsula and establishment of a peace mechanism in parallel, the suspension for suspension initiative, which calls for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the US and the RoK to suspend their large scale military exercises and step by step concession from Russia are the basis on which brought countries jointly proposed a road map to resolve the issue.…we hope the parties concerned will seriously consider this and actively respond to it. China calls upon the International Community to jointly and comprehensively and fully implement the relevant resolutions of the SC on DPRK, firmly push forward the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula." Earlier, Haley said, "Kim Jong Un's abusive use of missiles shows he is begging for war. War is never something the US wants. But our patience not unlimited.... The idea of "freeze for freeze" is insulting. When an ICBM is pointed at you, do not lower your guard. Enough is enough. The incremental approach has not worked. We must "quickly enact the strongest sanctions here in UNSC. We have kicked can down road long enough. There is no road left." Two days before today's reported North Korean nuclear test, incoming UN Security Council president for September Tekeda Alemu of Ethiopia held a long press conference at the UN and only mentioned North Korea once, per the UN Department of Public Information's summary, here. Will the Security Council and its president still leave New York for five days? This as some on the UN Security Council, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres or at least his spokesman Stephane Dujarric have no problem with or comment on the UN's own World Intellectual Property Organization helps North Korea with a patent application for social cyanide (WIPO site here). On Capitol Hill on June 28, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) urged US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley to act on WIPO, including its retaliation against whistleblowers. Haley spoke about reviewing peacekeeping missions, which is needed - as is a review and reversal of the UN's lack of protections for free press, and continued restrictions on investigative Press. At the day's UN noon briefing Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN Transcript here. The UN Secretariat also backed up WIPO on May 26 when Inner City Press asked, transcript here and below. Inner City Press on May 16 began to ask US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley about it (video here). On May 17, Nikki Haley replied to Inner City Press' question: "All parts of the UN system need to support the Security Council in its efforts to respond to the grave threat of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs. Sodium cyanide is banned for export to North Korea by the Security Council. A common sense reaction would be for WIPO to inform the Council of such patent applications. Its failure to do so may have dangerous consequences.” Inner City Press on September 1 asked Ambassador Alemu four questions, including on Burundi (on the Council's agenda) and the Oromo Protests, a major human rights issue. Video here. But when the UN Department of Public Information wrote up the press conference, it did not even MENTION Burundi, much less the Oromo protests. See UN document here. What is wrong with UN DPI, a corrupt UN Department which spends $200 million a year in public funds, but doe not even has any rules, content neutral or otherwise, on how it accredits and/or restrictsthe independent press which covers the UN? Where is the new head of DPI, Alison Smale? In response to Inner City Press asking why Burundi, where even the UN says there is a risk of genocide, is not on his September Program of Work nor on the agenda of the Council's visit to Addis Ababa, Alemu on September 1 - not covered by the UN - said that you can't compare Burundi to Central African Republic, that Burundi has “strong state institutions.” But it is that very “strength,” which some say the country shares with Ethiopia, and with until recently military-ruled Myanmar about which Inner City Press also asked, that has led to the human rights violations. In this context, Inner City Press asked Alemu about the Oromo protests - and crackdown - in his country. He diplomatically chided Inner City Press for not having asked in private, saying that social media has played a dangerous role. Meanwhile the UN brags about its (propaganda) social media work. We'll have more on this. Alamy photos here. Earlier on September 1 in Alemu's briefing to countries not on the Security Council, Bangladesh specifically asked that the Council remain seized of the situation in Myanmar. When Inner City Press asked Alemu about this, he said he still had to inform himself more about that situation. The Security Council is traveling to Addis from September 5 through 9, when alongside African Union consultations the Council's member will meet for an hour with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Alemu said. The Council will receive the “maiden briefings” late in the month of the new Under Secretaries General of OCHA and on Counter-Terrorism. There will be peacekeeping on September 20, during the High Level week of the UN General Assembly, and Yemen on September 26. But tellingly, there will not be Burundi. And when Alemu added Mali to a September 5 meeting, despite his answer to FUNCA, not all media were told. Watch this site.
