With Press UNprotected in Ethiopia, Burundi & Inside the UN, Hypocrisy of UNCA President Pamela Falk of CBS

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- When the UN "celebrated" World Press Freedom Day on May 1, the speeches all sounded good. But there were inconsistencies large and small. 

  In Ethiopia, for example, the government has arrested nine journalists including six Zone 9 bloggers. Inner City Press, including on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, has twice asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric for any UN comment. There has been none. The UN has a big office in Addis Ababa and wants to stay there.

In Burundi, two journalists are being hauled before the courts for publishing a UN cable, which Inner City Press put online here, which warned of the governing party arming its youth wing. Inner City Press and FUNCA asked Dujarric for any comment: there was none.

But right inside the UN, journalism in under fire. For example on April 15, Ambassador Gerard Araud of Permanent Security Council member France told a reporter, "You are not a journalist, you are an agent." Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked Dujarric to convey to Araud (and to his forthcoming successor Jacques Audibert) the stated position that correspondents should be respected. But this has not happened.

  The attacked correspondent tells FUNCA that the old UN Correspondents Association, to which he pays dues and on whose Executive Committee he and Inner City Press used to serve (Inner City Press, disgusted, quit) that UNCA is "dragging its feet."

  It's a pattern: UNCA executive committee members angered at an Inner City Press reporting about Sri Lanka and conflicts of interest tried to get Inner City Press thrown out, including of the UN. Then UNCA executive committee Louis Charbonneau of Reuters got a leaked copy of his "for the record" complaint to the UN blocked from Google's Search, claiming it was private under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, here. This is outright censorship.

  And so it was particularly hypocritical, but typically UN, that UNCA's 2013-2014 president Pamela Falk of CBS sat on the UN's #WPFD panel, speechifying about freedom of information even after she and her board withheld the tape and transcript of a one hour Q&A session with Ban Ki-moon from which they used quotes. 

  No new hashtag can make up for this. These are insiders; this is not freedom of the press. This is the problem, and the new Free UN Coalition for Access will continue to confront it, inside the UN and beyond. Watch this site, and this one.

   

As Ethiopia Jails Bloggers, US Talks Free Press Elsewhere, Files Risen Brief, Kerry on the Way

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 26 -- Ethiopia has conducted a sweep and arrest of journalists including Tesfalem Woldeyes and six bloggers from the Zone 9 collective. Next week, US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Addis Ababa. Will he be raising the issue? We'll see. 

   New US Assistant Secretary of State Tom Malinowsi on April 25 spoke about the US defending bloggers; the examples he gave were in Russia and Vietnam: "Dieu Cay," Ta Phong Tan and Phan Thanh Hai.  How now about Ethiopia?

   As Press Freedom seasons heats up, some were surprised not only by this brief filed in the Supreme Court but also by this week's US announcement of renewed military aid to Egypt, including 10 Apache helicopters. Isn't Egypt the country with journalists including but not limited to those of Al Jazeera locked up?

After questions, the State Department clarified the specifics of aid to Egypt on April 24:

"The Egypt bilateral foreign assistance budget for FY2014 is approximately $1.5 billion and includes $1.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) – $200 million in Economic Support Funds; and over $7 million for other security assistance programs, including International Military Education and Training, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, and Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Programs. The $650 million from FY2014 FMF will be the first of this funding to move forward, pending Congressional notification and approval."

  The next day new US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Tom Malinowski was asked about the detained Al Jazeera journalists. He replied that withholding of one additional certification is in part due to the Al Jazeera case, and therefore the case has consequences.

  But here is how US Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby explained the certification:

Secretary Hagel told General Sobhy that we are not yet able to certify that Egypt is taking steps to support a democratic transition, and he urged the Egyptian government to demonstrate progress on a more inclusive transition that respects the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Egyptians.

Secretary Hagel also informed Minister Sobhy of President Obama's decision to deliver ten Apache helicopters in support of Egypt’s counterterrorism operations in the Sinai. The secretary noted that we believe these new helicopters will help the Egyptian government counter extremists who threaten U.S., Egyptian, and Israeli security.

  While some say "safe and free," the above shows the relationship between "U.S., Egyptian, and Israeli security" and the freedom of the press issues at stake in Egypt. Watch this site.

Footnote: Freedom of the press issues have arisen at the UN with respect to Voice of America, on whose Broadcasting Board of Governors John Kerry serves. Freedom of Information Act requests have been filed with the BBG - andwith the State Department, including with regard to South Sudan and the US Atrocities Prevention Board. The issues are being pursued by the new Free UN Coalition for Access. Watch this site.