By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 3 -- How far with the UN go to try to ban dissent and to censor those who question it?
Recently Inner City Press asked the UN to respond to what a Somalia whistleblower told it, that the head of the UN Mine Action Service in Mogadishu David Bax has been sharing genetic information from bombings with US intelligence.
While still not answering the question, now after 10 days, the UN is conducting a witch hunt seeking to root out the whistleblower.
On a smaller scale in UN Headquarters itself, the UN seems intent on trying to ban the sign and even name of the new Free UN Coalition for Access.
At the July 3 noon briefing with Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson, before asking about Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Inner City Press thanked Eliasson “on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access.”
UN video here, from Minute 19:44.
But when the UN put out its transcript, the name of FUNCA was cut out:
“Q: I want to thank you for doing this briefing so soon after you got back, and also I hope that we will have some questions on more general UN items, after, it should be... There is DRC, Haiti and other things going on.”
By contrast, the UN (mis) transcription left in the name of the old UNCA, as recited by its 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBSNews.com:
“Q: Mr. Deputy Secretary-General, welcome on behalf of the UN Correspondents’ Association, welcome back and thank you for the briefing.”
Who in the UN decided what to cut out of what purports to be a transcript? What is the basis of the deletions? If they cut this, do they cut or change whole questions? Answers? We have asked.
This takes place as the UN Department of Public Information has threatened to suspend or withdraw Inner City Press' accreditation for having a FUNCA sign on the door of its office - despite the fact that UNCA is allowed two signs, and much more.
Even amid this censorship, FUNCA continues its work,pushing inside the UN to restore space for the press and public 100% eliminated in the new General Assembly Hall, and on July 3 supporting a FUNCA member in Somaliland, protesting the jailing of two fellow journalists there.
But how far with the UN go to try to ban dissent and to censor those who question it? And what does it undermine? Watch this site.
