As China Disappears Uighurs, UN Delays Comment, Then Outsources to Geneva

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/hchr1uighurs102209.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- As the UN like the United States because less willing to speak about human rights and China, questions at UN headquarters about the treatment of minority Uighurs have gone unanswered until now. Last week, Inner City Press asked about Uighurs sentenced to death without having lawyers. There was no response.

On October 21, Inner City Press asked about reports that over 40 Uighurs including children have been disappeared by the government. The Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon responded that the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights would be saying something on the issue later that day.

Three hours later, Inner City Press asked High Commissioner Pillay about the missing Uighurs. She shook her head, nothing to say, at least not at a press conference on human trafficking. A staffer said a statement might come out later and be provided.

Nothing having arrived, at the noon briefing on October 22, Inner City Press asked again. Still nothing. Another staffer said that the Office is doing a lot behind the scenes. But why treat China so differently than other countries?

Finally, a statement was provided to Inner City Press, below

Subj: Your question on China
From: unspokesperson-donotreply [at] un.org
To: Inner City Press
Sent: 10/22/2009 2:40:31 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time

While recognizing that those who committed crimes in Xinjiang -- just like anywhere else -- must be brought to justice, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says it has concerns about the reported disappearance of some of those arrested. In July, OHCHR expressly requested information from the Government of China about the whereabouts and status of the detainees and will continue to pursue this matter with the government.

During the unrest, the High Commissioner for Human Rights called publicly for an independent investigation into the causes of the rioting and the reasons why it escalated to the point of causing injuries or loss of life to around 1,000 people. Since then, OHCHR has encouraged the Government of China to facilitate an open and transparent investigation by independent international parties in order to produce a fuller narrative of what actually happened. OHCHR believes this type of investigation is extremely important after events of this nature -- it made a similar call, for example, after the recent killings and rapes in Guinea.

OHCHR says it will continue to discuss all these issues with the Chinese authorities.

For any follow-up questions, pls contact OHCHR

That is, don't ask Ban Ki-moon or his spokespeople to comment on China and human rights. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/hchr1uighurs102209.html

UN's Quintana Soft on Myanmar, Praises Regime's Rohinga Ruling, in Total Denial

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unhr1myanmar102209.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- As two repressive countries were reviewed Thursday at the UN, the different approach of the two UN rapporteurs emerged through torture as a story in itself. Both Myanmar and North Korea have country specific rapporteurs, to which the UN's other human rights experts defer on events in the two nations. For example, when Inner City Press asked the UN's expert on the rights of the indigenous James Anaya about the plight of Rohinga and other ethnic minorities in Myanmar, Anaya said he defers to the country expert, Tomas Ojea Quintana.

Likewise when Inner City Press asked the UN's expert on business and human rights, John Ruggie, about Total's investment in Myanmar, Ruggie said he deferred to Quintana.

But Quintana on Thursday appeared to some to defend the regime of Than Shwe. When Inner City Press asked about the Rohinga, rather than speak about the denial of citizenship and mass exodus as boat people, Quintana praised a Burmese court decision that Rohinga can marry each other.

When Inner City Press asked about Total's and others investment with the Than Shwe government in the gas and oil sector -- payments from which are said to make up the 41% of the regime's budget which goes to military spending, Quintana referred the question back to Ruggie -- who not three hours earlier, sitting in the same seat as Quintana, had said he has nothing to say on company-specific questions.

Inner City Press asked Quintana point blank if when he goes to Myanmar, he is escorted by the military. Quintana said "there are limitations," but would not describe them.

By contrast, the outgoing rapporteur on North Korea Vitit Muntarbhorn, called Kim Jong-il's a dictatorship, described the punishment of those who seek to flee, and noted that the World Food Program can't inspect its programs except on one week's notice. Click here for that.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unhr1myanmar102209.html

UN Expert's North Korea Swan Song Questions UNDP and UNHCR, One Week Notice by WFP

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unhr1dprk102209.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- After six years of reporting on North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn has had enough. He was never allowed into the country, only interviewed refugees who left. At the UN on Thursday, Inner City Press asked him if the UN's refugee agency is defending the rights of those who flee, especially to China.

Muntarbhorn was diplomatic, saying that is UNHCR's job, and that his mandate stops at the border. About the UN Development Program re-opening in Pyongyang, he said that UNDP would not -- as it did in the past -- pay for Kim Jong-il officials' foreign travel and training in the name of development. We'll see.

He described brutal prison conditions, and crackdowns on women who wear pants, leading to rare and courageous demonstrations. Unlike his counterpart on Myanmar Tomas Quintana, he had no problem saying that the money the government gets does not sufficiently go to the people. He said that abductees were not only Japanese, but also from South Korea and elsewhere.

Inner City Press asked Muntarbhorn what the Universal Periodic Review -- described by High Commissioner Navi Pillay as a jewel of the UN's human rights system -- could accomplish.

Muntarbhorn called the UPR "middle pitch," saying there is also a need from some higher pitch name and shame reporting. His successor, he said, will need to study politics as well as human rights. He himself has another job in waiting, he told reporters are the end, without naming it. We wish him well.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unhr1dprk102209.html

IMF Plays Ukraine, Zim and Pakistan As "Technical" Questions, Pushes Tax Hikes in Serbia

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/imf1ukzimpak102209.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- Are the International Monetary Fund's negotiations with countries about the level of taxes and salaries for public sector employees, the pricing of electricity and the privatization of social services political, or merely "economic and technical"? The questions arose Thursday in connection with Ukraine, Zimbabwe and Pakistan, among others, in the IMF's first press briefing since its annual meeting in Turkey.

IMF spokesperson Caroline Atkinson fielded questions for half an hour, leaving unanswered one submitted by Inner City Press about Serbia, where the IMF's Paul Thompson has been quoted that "if the Serbian delegation has a concrete pan for decreasing expenses, we will support it, if not, they will have to agree with us and think about increasing taxes." Left unanswered: how is raising taxes merely "technical"?

Ms. Atkinson did respond to Inner City Press' questions about Ukraine, Zimbabwe and Pakistan. While a full transcript is available online here, and video here, in sum the Q & A went as follows:

Inner City Press asked, In Ukraine, the opposition party is critical of the IMF as funding the campaign of Tymoshenko. What is the IMF's response to the opposition's criticism? Ms. Atkinson replied that IMF funds go to the central bank, and that the IMF has a team on the ground in Kiev for a third review.

The opposition was not, it seems, saying that money from the IMF is being used by Tymoshenko for advertisements or to pay poll workers, but rather "MP and opposition government's finance minister, Mykola Azarov, said this at a meeting with delegates of an IMF mission, 'We must say that the program of cooperation with the IMF has turned out to be ineffective, and nothing is left but to consider the IMF's assistance as politically motivated, as funding of one of the candidates running for the presidency.'"

When another reporter asked a follow up question about Ukraine, wondering if with the IMF mission on the ground, the upcoming election "is an issue," Ms. Atkinson said the IMF does not comment while a mission is in the field, negotiating a program, but that information -- and one hopes some questions and answers -- will be provided once the mission is completed

On Zimbabwe, Inner City Press asked, "NGOs are critical of the IMF for, they say, pushing Zimbabwe to privatize its social services system. Has the IMF pushed for that, and how does it respond to the criticism?" Ms. Aktinson, while saying she can get back to Inner City Press with more information, argued that the IMF does not favor or disfavor particular privatizations, but must be pushing to strengthen the social service sector to help the poor.

But speaking just ahead of civil society's consultative meeting with an IMF team under Article IV of the Fund's Articles of Agreement, NANGO said "'we are opposed to some IMF polices such as privatization of basic social services. We know it from the past that some IMF policies have worked against people in this country. They have affected the social services sector and their polices are anti-people and negative'... [NANGO] said some of the IMF instigated polices which had brought suffering to the people were the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) and Zimbabwe Programme for Economic and Social Transformation (ZIMPREST)." It's a pretty specific critique, and we'll publish the IMF's response upon receipt.

Following up on Inner City Press' questions and article from August 2009, it asked "in Pakistan, the IMF in August extended for a year the country's time to eliminate electricity subsidies. Now, while the IMF says 2 price increases will be implemented, others say this is not possible politically. What is the IMF's thinking on consumer power pricing in Pakistan?"

Ms. Aktinson replied that "as I believe you know, the issue of issue of electric subsidy is typically done by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank," that IMF gets involved due to the budget."we will be having another review of the Pakistan program in early November." We'll be there....

And see, www.innercitypress.com/imf1ukzimpak102209.html

On UN's Guinea Investigation, Russia Balks At Process and Cost, UN No Answers on China

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1guinea102109.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 21 -- When the UN Security Council held a closed door meeting Wednesday about Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's announcement of a UN international commission of inquiry into the killing and raping of protesters in Guinea, sources tell Inner City Press that Russia raised questions and objections.

By what right, Russia asked, did Ban decide to send such a commission? (We noted, while Russia didn't, that the UN has failed to send any commission to look into a much higher number of deaths this year in Sri Lanka).

When Ban's representative in the Council meeting, Haile Menkerios, came to the stakeout, Inner City Press put to him, on camera, the questions Russia had asked. How was the decision made? How will the commission be paid for? Video here, from Minute 6:09.

Tellingly, Menkerios said that "ECOWAS in its last meeting requested -- we understood from Doctor Chambas that ECOWAS was going to ask... that it would be difficult for them." He went on to say that Ban consulted informally with members of the Security Council.

Inner City Press has been told that French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner was most forceful in demanding a UN commission of inquiry. But it appears that Ban did not sufficiently consult with all of the Permanent Members of the Security Council, in light of Russia's objections on Wednesday.

The rest of Menkerios' answer implied that ECOWAS may send military or security observers, if security is not assured to the commission and to Guineans. Burkina Faso's president will first try to get the security commitments. So, some wonder, would this be a peacekeeping force?

As to why Russia took the position it did in the Guinea consultations, some say Russia would have liked a UN inquiry into Georgia after its attempt to take back South Ossetia by force. Some speculate on other Russian reasons.

On the question of who would pay for the commission, Inner City Press asked France's Ambassador Gerard Araud at the stakeout. As he walked away, he said, "That's one of the questions, we don't know." Video here, at end.

In a similar walk away from a question, when Inner City Press asked Menkerios for the second time about China's multi billion dollars investment with the military leader of Guinea in the midst of the crisis, and whether they was helpful, Menkerios said to "ask Guineans or others." Video here, from Minute 10:39. It appears the UN is reluctant to criticize China.

Footnotes: on this, when Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe at Wednesday's noon briefing if he or the UN have any response to the report that at least 43 Uighurs have been disappeared by the government in Xinjiang, Ms. Okabe said she had been told that UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay would be speaking on that later on Wednesday.

But when Inner City Press asked Ms. Pillay, on camera, about the disappeared Uighurs, she said nothing. (On another Inner City Press questions, about the Sri Lankan asylum seekers diverted from Australia to Indonesia, and those in Canada, she let her co-panelists answer, and said nothing as well). Her staffer said a statement on the Uighurs might be provided later on Wednesday. We'll see.

Finally, on how the Guinea commission of inquiry would be paid for, Menkerios said, "This would not be the first commission." Later, a UN financial official told Inner City Press that the Secretary General has a budget, likened to a slush fund, of $8 million for unforeable expenses related to peace and security. We'll see.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1guinea102109.html

On Food Speculation, UN's Expert Says Nothing's Being Done, S. Korean Land Grabs from Madagascar to Sudan, Brazil on Ethanol

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unhr1food102109.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 21 -- After many speeches at the UN about the need to crack down on financial speculation in food, nothing has been done, the UN's expert on the right to food told Inner City Press on Wednesday.

Olivier de Schutter, a Belgian law professor just back from a visit to Brazil about, among other things, the loss of land for food to ethanol, replied that "nothing is moving at the inter-governmental level." This despite a statement by the G-20 in April favoring the regulation of hedge funds which present systemic risk. The argument is that commodities index funds which speculate in food present systemic risk to net food importing countries. But nothing has been done.

De Schutter spoke about the monopolization of the seed industry, and made a slew of recommendations for governments. The three top monopolizers -- Monsanto, Dupont and the Swiss-based Syngenta -- are all members of the UN Global Compact, and claim to comply with human rights. De Schutter pointed out the antitrust law is directed as national and not global or subnational markets. It is all very heady but one wonders what effect it has.

Brazil might be one of de Schutter's claims to impact. He spoke glowingly of President Lula, saying that Brazil has said that only 19% of land can be used for sugar cane for ethanol, and has committed to monitor labor rights. But what about, for example, Indonesia and Malaysia?

After De Schutter's briefing, Inner City Press asked his staffer for an update on the proposed land grab in Madagascar by South Korea based Daewoo, which was reputed after the coup in that country. De Schutter had been scheduled to visit, but it was put off by the coup. The same thing happened in Honduras. So perhaps De Schutter does have an effect after all, mused one wag.

Footnote: immediately after De Schutter's briefing, the UN's Haile Menkerios was scheduled to speak to the Press about Madagascar. While the UN usually compartmentalizes its work such that a rapporteur looks at land grabs, while the Secretariat remains on "political affairs" narrowly defined, this land grab played a role in the change of government. Now it's said the South Korean deal is being pursued from India, while South Korea appears to have moved on to 690,000 hectares in Sudan. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unhr1food102109.html

Still Headless in Darfur, UN Has Sudan and Nigeria Mad, Airlifting to Juba

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unque1sudan102009.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 20 -- As the UN in Sudan warns of rebel and government troops massing in Darfur, and in the South airlifts an opposition figure's fighters from his stronghold to Juba, its Mission faces other troubles as well. The UN's envoy Rodolphe Adada has not yet been replaced. Interviews, Inner City Press is told, will take place the first week in November.

These sources say that the future of Nigeria's peacekeepers in Darfur is not certain. Nigerian Martin Luther Agwai is no longer the UN's Force Commander -- although he's still on the UN payroll -- and U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to visit Ghana and not Nigeria makes the latter less willing to help, including in Darfur. As the U.S. announces a new strategy of carrots, other pieces are not falling into place.

At the UN's noon briefing on Tuesday, Inner City Press asked about the troops massing in Darfur, and the UN Mission in South Sudan's airlift of the fighters of Paulino Matip to Juba. Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said didn't have an information about either. Inner City Press asked how that could be.

Later in the briefing, a staffer came in and handed Ms. Okabe a sheet of paper. She read out a statement about the UN's concern about troops massing in Darfur. On South Sudan, nothing.

Khartoum sees the SPLA's "harassment" of Matip's fighters as an abuse, now abetted by the UN, both Peacekeeping and Political Affairs. Of the two, they prefer the former. They have particular scorn for the DPA official currently "preparing the ground" in Guinea for a board of inquiry, essentially ordered up by Bernard Kouchner of France, they say. They marvel at how the possible referring of the Goldstone report on Gaza can be kept away from even a vote on referral to the International Criminal Court, while their case got referred. The House of Double Standard, they call the UN. There's double dipping, too. But more on that anon. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unque1sudan102009.html

Is Sri Lanka Postponing Visit of UN's Caemmart Retaliation? UN Claims Photo-Op Was Disclosure

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/untrip9may5srilanka102009.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 20 -- The Sri Lankan government is already delaying the visit of the UN's Patrick Cammaert, announced a mere week ago as starting in early November. In response to questions from Inner City Press last week, UN Children and Armed Conflict expert Radhika Coomaraswamy disclosed for the first time that the government had agreed to an early November visit by Mr. Cammaert, formerly with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo.

Yesterday, Inner City Press reported that sources told it the visit would be delayed. Tuesday it was authoritatively and multiply confirmed to Inner City Press, that the government has pushed the date back to November 23 -- a time which currently doesn't work for Mr. Cammaert.

The government's pretext for the delay is that it is moving some of the youths from one camp to another. These moves are of course within the control of the government, and it is not at all clear that the government didn't know about its move last week.

To some, the postponement seems a heavy handed reaction to Ms. Coomaraswamy having said anything publicly about Cammaert's trip. Then again, Inner City Press' sources for yesterday's item now say that the government is dangling the possibility of reinstating Cammaert. It is called trying to control the UN's speech: quite successfully, of late.

Footnote: following yesterday's piece which questioned why Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson did not last week in lengthy noon briefing read-outs mention anything about Ban's meeting with the Sri Lankan minister, the Spokesperson points to the listing of a photo-op between the two. Inner City Press, which had seen that before publishing yesterday's not inconsistent piece, has asked for a copy of Ban's Daily Schedule for October 12, for an on the record answer as to why the Spokesperson's Office does not archive Ban's daily schedule and an explanation of how it is decided which of the S-G's meetings and calls are presented in the initial parts of noon briefings or in writing, and which are only summarized if someone knows to ask. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/untrip9may5srilanka102009.html

UN's Ban Favors "Phantom Polling Stations" Decried by Fired Galbraith in Afghan Runoff

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unama2sideline102009.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 20 -- For the second round of Afghan elections now slated for November 7, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon favors keeping open what were described as "phantom" polling stations by the deputy envoy who Ban fired, Peter Galbraith.

Shortly after Hamid Karzai announced he would accept the second round based on findings of widespread fraud in the first, Ban spoke with the Press outside the UN Security Council chamber in New York. Inner City Press asked him, "What about the phantom polling stations?" Galbraith said that polling stations in areas entirely under the control of the Taliban, where no verification would be possible, should not be open in the first round.

Inner City Press asked Mr. Ban if he thinks these "so-called phantom polling stations" should be open in the second round. Ban, after repeating the phrase, said "I'd like to make it clear... the purpose of the UN is assisting the electoral process last time" was to "ensure all Afghanistan people would be able to express their will by casting votes."

"The idea suggested by Mister Peter Galbraith to reduce the number of polling stations" just to avoid fraud was "not acceptable [under] the core values of democracy," Ban said.

Ban then argued this was why he fired Galbraith, "not about fraud," but on the principle of enfranchisement. While many correspondents after Ban's stake out interview expressed skepticism at this, noting that Galbraith was only fired when he publicly called into question the partiality of Ban's top envoy Kai Eide and thus of Ban himself, at a minimum Ban's statement might be interpreted as, going public with a call to limit the number of polling stations was "not acceptable."

Reasonable minds can disagree about whether polling stations that cannot be effectively monitored help or hurt democracy. Therefore to argue that any questioning of such stations is "not acceptable under the core values of democracy" might seem hyperbolic, or an attempt to spin what some see as another of the UN's firing of whistleblowers or critics.

As possible deals between Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah will be rumored to cancel the November 7 run-off, there is sure to be a debate about, among other things, the wisdom of the so called phantom polling stations. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unama2sideline102009.html

UN's Indigenous Expert Stymied in Russia, Does Not Engage in Myanmar, Will Visit Ecuador

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unhr1anaya101909.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 19 -- Russia blocked the UN's expert on the rights of indigenous people from visiting the site slated for the Evenki dam in Krasnoyarsk Territory, it emerged at the UN on Monday.

Inner City Press asked James Anaya, the UN's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedom of indigenous people, if he had in fact been allowed to visit the site. The Russian press had quoted Igor Kurtushin, deputy head of the territorial administration’s department for external relations that "it would not be easy to visit the Evenki sites due to peculiar weather patterns."

Inner City Press asked if Anaya had visit the contested site, from which indigenous people would be evicted. No, he said, it wasn't in the agenda we were able to negotiate. Video here, from Minute 30:53.

Was this, in fact, due to the weather, Inner City Press followed up. "The weather was good was I was there," Anaya answered, describing two flights in Krasnoyarsk and an outdoor meal of reindeer parts. Video here, from Minute 36:29.

This can be contrasted to Panama, where the government allowed Anaya to visit the site of a proposed dam. When Inner City Press asked about Ecuador and conflicts there, Anaya said he is going in December, invited by the government.

To some, Anaya seems too accommodating of governments. When Inner City Press asked about Canada's refusal to sign on to the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People, Anaya said Canada is moving in the right direction, that he doesn't criticize countries if there is the "possibility" of movement.

Likewise, when Inner City Press asked about the position of Botswana that nearly all people there are indigenous, Anaya responded that he hadn't seen a need to contest this position during his recent visit there. Given that the position almost derailed the Declaration, it seems strange to some to be so accommodative of it now.

But it is to and within the UN system that Anaya is most accommodative. Inner City Press asked about the UN's REDD program, which was protested earlier this month. Anaya said that the UN agencies want to address indigenous issues. When Inner City Press asked about indigenous people in Myanmar, Anaya responded that since there is another rapporteur on Myanmar, he does not engage in Myanmar. Video here, from Minute 49:22.

First, this deference is not required: for example, the UN's expert on children and armed conflict engages with Myanmar, rather than deferring. Particularly given the issues that have arisen about the UN's special rapporteur on Myanmar, for Anaya to say he'll do nothing in or about the country ill-served indigenous people. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unhr1anaya101909.html

As France is Asked about Evictions in Calais and Chad, UN Cuts Off Questions, Jumps for Kouchner

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1poorfrance101909.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 19 -- In his first media availability at the UN, new French Ambassador Gerard Araud marked the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with a press conference on October 19.

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Araud about his country's eviction of immigrants from a camp near Calais last month, about the drowning of residents of the Comoros trying to get to the French island of Mayotte, and about mass evictions in the capital of Chad, where the Idriss Deby government receives substantial French support. Video here, from Minute 25:32.

Ambassador Araud said immigration is an issues throughout the developed world, quickly equating the drowning of those seeking to get to Mayotte with deaths of African in the Mediterranean.

He said that the "dismantling" of the camp was because immigration should be restricted to that which is legal, so that Europeans don't "become violent." He said it was fair to be critical, he has seen such criticism of U.S. policies as well, but these countries are democracies.

Araud said that "answering about Chad is the easiest," and then proceeded to say that his Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, the moment he got the post, took in the lead is setting up peacekeeping mission in Eastern Chad, first through the European Union and then the UN.

A follow-up question was cut off by the UN's moderator, Rachel Mayanja. She said, "before we proceed... I am surprised none of you want to take advantage" of the boy on the panel, from Dominica, to "expose his journey." Video here, from Minute 31:55. But she had begun by saying that the youth would be accompanied by a chaperrone from ChildFund Caribbean, who was not on the podium.

After a more compliant correspondent dutifully asked the boy about photography -- ChildFund saved him from being a criminal, he equally dutifully said -- Inner City Press asked Ambassador Araud about the evictions done by French ally Idriss Deby, did he have any answer? He shook his head no. And the press conference was over. Video here, from Minute 34:49.

Afterwards, one of the French journalists opined that Ms. Mayanja may have been trying to protect or please France, a Permanent Five member of the Security Council, by shifting from questions about France's record to what she wanted journalists to ask and write about. This has become more prevalent at the UN.

We note that Ms. Mayanja's cutting off of questions cannot necessarily be ascribed to Araud. The UN may offer protection where none is even requested. If Ms. Mayanja wanted to play up the boy's story, why have him appear at the French Ambassador's first press conference?

Another reporter told Inner City Press that Bernard Kouchner called Ban Ki-moon recently and told him the UN should launch an investigation of the recent killing of some 150 protesters in Guinea Conakry. Ban did just that; when Inner City Press asked, his spokesman said that it was at the request of ECOWAS. But why didn't the UN launch any inquiry into the tens of thousands of civilians killed in Sri Lanka earlier this year?

Just as the UN on Monday sought to limit questions to the right kind of poverty, it will only investigate the killings of the right victims: it all depends on who the perpetrator is, and who provides protection.

Footnote: also on the Chad evictions, Inner City Press asked this question last week to Habitat's New York representative, and for an update on what if anything Habitat did to follow up on supposed commitments by Angola not to continue evictions. Video here. A response was promised, but has not been received. What was that again, about eradicating poverty?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1poorfrance101909.html

At UN, Vietnam Is Asked About Beaten Monks, Says No Grounds To Bring It Up

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1monksviet101609.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 16 -- Nearly three weeks after some 400 Buddhist monks in Vietnam were evicted and beaten, and Vietnam took over the Presidency of the UN Security Council, on October 16 Inner City Press asked Vietnam's Ambassador and Council President Le Luong Minh about the incident. Video here, from Minute 3:09.

Ambassador Le Luong Minh at first look puzzled, then smirked. Inner City Press explained the "hook" to the Security Council, a report that "supporters are also asking the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to help them arrange a meeting with Vietnam's U.N. ambassador."

While U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice was present in the Council on Friday, when Inner City Press asked if the matter had been raised, Le Luong Minh said "no one has raised it, and there are no grounds for anyone to raise it."

When monks, admittedly a larger number, were cracked down on in Myanmar, the matter was quickly raised in the Security Council, and Myanmar is now on the Council's agenda. There are other less than reasonable exclusions from the Council's agenda, such as the tens of thousands of ethnic Tamils killed in Sri Lanka earlier this year. But when events like this take place in a country holding the presidency of the UN Security Council, it should not be surprising that they are raised.

Only this week, five countries ran for and won seats of the Security Council. When Inner City Press asked Brazil's Ambassador if she envisioned bringing up Honduras in the Council when she joins it in January, if it is still needed, she referred only to "regional organizations."

When Inner City Press asked Nigeria's foreign minister if Nigeria would like to bring up Guinea in the Council, he also referred to regional organizations. When Ban Ki-moon on October 16 announced a UN inquiry into the killings and rapes in Guinea, Inner City Press asked his spokesperson if the inquiry had the consent of the government, as the UN implied would be necessary in Sri Lanka. His spokesperson replied that a regional organization had asked for the Guinea inquiry.

ASEAN's inward gaze condemn many victims to suffer in silence. While often the Council accomplishes little for those on its agenda, it does let a government know it is being watched. In the case of Vietnam, the response was just a smirk. And so it goes at the UN.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unsc1monksviet101609.html

At UN, Americas Videos and U.S. Soldiers, Trooping Off to High Schools and a Moving Speech

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/undpi1comms101609.html

UNITED NATIONS, October 16 -- To many the UN seems stand-offish, not connected with its host city New York, viewing the Internet as a one-way medium for propaganda. On Friday the UN announced that in the coming week, ten of its top officials will go speak in New York schools. It announced the five winners of its YouTube competition for videos addressing world leaders. And Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke to student, at the UN's own school, and said he'd like to move his office there, the applause was so loud.

Even in this there was criticism. A commenter on the UN's YouTube channel page wrote

"TO UN: I can't understand why all the winners are from North, South of America. Do yo think that's fair? How about other continents such as Africa, Asia? Sorry but I am totally disappointed about this judgment. It's not about me, but If you had any winners from any dictator countries, It would encourage people of these countries to have better feeling that they can spread their voice through the world."

At a press conference announcing the winners, Inner City Press read out the above and asked for the UN's response. Eric Falt of the UN's Outreach Division replied that he didn't disagree -- in naming the Canadian winner, he'd said the person lives in Tokyo -- and later provided these criteria:

• How relevant is it to the challenge: “how do we make this world a better, safer place”?

• How creative is the entry in form and content?

• Do you feel the entry merits attention from “world leaders”?

• Bonus points for aesthetic value and originality

Each was worth a maximum of five points.

Inner City Press asked if, unlike in some UN hiring, geographic balance played no part. Falt subsequently answered that "We were certainly hoping for geographic balance and hope that, next year, with more advance publicity through our network of UN Information Centers and perhaps peacekeeping operations, we can have more videos from more countries and therefore a better balance at the end."

Meanwhile, Inner City Press was among the only UN correspondents of any kind covering Ban Ki-moon's "Stand Up Against Poverty" speech at the UN International School on Friday morning. The head of the Department of Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka was waiting in the school for Mr. Ban, along with Ban's speechwriting Michael Meyer. Ban arrived in a black luxury car, trailed by a 4 by 4 of security. Ban stopped and greeted the Press, then proceeded up to a second story auditorium. The students burst into applause. Ban said it was nice to start the day this way.

He spoke, barely looking at notes, about how lucky the students were to be able to go to school, to be in the greenhouse of primary school and then college's ivory tower. But then you must face the world, he said. He led the students in a pledge about poverty. It was not unmoving.

Four of Ban's Under Secretaries General, and six Assistant Secretaries General, will speak in schools next week:

Top lawyer Patricia O'Brien and investigator Inga-Britt Ahlenius, both of whom rarely speak to the press, will speak in Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively. Ibrahim Gambari, arriving one imagines on Metro North from Westchester, will speak in Manhattan. Sergio Duarte will speak in The Bronx.

Among ASGs, Controller Jun Yamazaki will speak in Brooklyn, as will Warren Sach. Manhattan gets Franz Baumann and Peter Taksoe-Jensen. The Bronx claims Capital Master Planner Michael Adlerstein and Thomas Stelzer. All told, 44 schools in all five borough will have UN staff speaking. Outside of New York, children and armed conflict expert Radhika Coomaraswamy will be speaking in Kansas City, albeit at the university along with Newt Gingrich and others.

Inner City Press asked Mr. Akasaka where he would be speaking. He will be in Kuala Lumpur. What about the peacekeepers, or Political Affairs' Lynn Pascoe? Or Angela Kane who will, it's said, appear for a press conference next week?

Another Friday event at the UN about communication was an informal briefing to twenty some U.S. military personnel on their way to be spokespeople in Iraq. A representative of the U.S. mission spoke -- it is not entirely clear how the event was set up, or if all member states could do it -- along with invited journalists including Inner City Press. The questions ranged from how to deal with "bloggers" -- which the UN staffer directed to Inner City Press, while saying that the UN does not accredit bloggers, only online media -- to how to make friends with "the Arab press."

The answers involved occupation and Guantanamo Bay. Inner City Press advised the prospective spokespeople to, unlike some in the UN, actually provide answers to questions. Just another day at the UN, trying to avoid what Israel called the Goldstone report on Gaza, a tale of sound and fury -- told by an idiot -- signifying nothing.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/undpi1comms101609.html