By Matthew Russell Lee, Complaint Application
UN GATE, July 6 – After the Burma coup regime fired its New York-based UN ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun for his speech in New York in the usually scripted UN General Assembly, an official of President of the GA Volkan Bozkir, who in fine Myanmar fashion refused to name the authors of the letters and CVs of at least seven opponents to UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres, bragged about the session. On June 18, 2021 after a regime-like 1-man election, Guterres obtained five more years.
Now Guterres, still banning the Press, stays silent as five banks from Permanent UN Security Member France fund the Burma junta: Crédit Agricole, Groupe BPCE, BNP Paribas, La Banque Postale, Société Générale, as well as Fonds de Réserve pour les Retraites, a publicly owned, state-funded agency, together are caught investing over US $6 billion, 75% of which is in the fossil fuel sector. Investments were also made in companies that sell arms to the junta and in companies operating in the telecommunications sector that enables the junta’s surveillance. With US$4 billion, Crédit Agricole accounts for most of the investments. Ignored in and by the UN is the connection of these investments to fueling widespread and systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including the imprisonment of 70 journalists and other severe restrictions on press freedom. Crédit Agricole is investing in India’s state-owned company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) that has been implicated in the sale of military equipment to the Myanmar junta since the 2021 coup attempt. BEL is also a leading partner of the Thalès Group. This while France is preparing to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a guest of honour at the July 14th Bastille Day.
Back on August 6, 2021 this: Criminal complaint on Inner City Press' DocumentCloud here: the arrests of PHYO HEIN HTUT and YE HEIN ZAW for conspiracy to assault and make a violent attack upon Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations [Kyaw Moe Tun]. HTUT and ZAW were charged in two separate complaints... Between at least in or about July 2021 through at least on or about August 5, 2021, HTUT and ZAW, citizens of Myanmar currently residing in New York, conspired to injure or kill Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN."
Inner City Press exclusively live tweeted Zaw's detention hearing, here, story here. Then, song / video here. But the UN of Guterres and Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming refuse to answer any of Inner City Press' written questions - and when asked orally by another, Dujarric confirmed receipt of the Quinn Emanuel law firm's letter but said no change of status and so far no reply, video here.
Linda Thomas Greenfield, to whom Inner City Press has written but who has yet to act on Guterres' ban of US-based Press, tweeted about the disrupted plot. And now the junta in Nya Pyi Taw has cited, yes, the UN's own rules and Vienna Convention to say any criticism of it is wrong, and ask again for extradition to face a charge with the death penalty.
On August 10, Inner City Press RSVP-ed for a press availability by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, even though it would occur at 4 am NYC time and, in the box provided, asked about the above.
At 4 am on August 11 the telephonic press conference began; now transcript is here. Inner City Press entered 1-0 and was placed in queue. 21st Century Business Herald was called on and asked about the US working with China on climate change. Another question was taken by e-mail. When the session ended at 4:26 am, Inner City Press's question had not been taken. So here they are:
Please list your questions here. All questions received in advance will be shared with the speaker before the call.
Inner City Press: 1) I would like to hear Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield's response to the Myanmar junta's claim that any criticism of their role in the plot, prosecuted in the SDNY court which I report on daily while banned from UN, of 2 Burmese to kill the country's PR to the UN, supposedly violates the Vienna Convention. (2) I would like to know if Ambassador Thomas Greenfield has received the letter Inner City Press sent her/the Mission and the State Department about ending the UN's ongoing ban on Inner City Press entering and asking questions in the UN as it did 2005-2018 and does at IMF, NYC City Hall, etc., and UN's inaction and non-response to letter it confirmed, on August 9, having received, see here [transcript; video here] Thanks.
We will continue to ask. Watch this site.
Guterres removed Burma's or Myanmar's army from the UN "list of shame" for recruiting and using child soldiers, despite more than 200 cases. Emboldened by corrupt Guterres, they are recruiting and using even more. Now a call for Guterres, trying to steal a second term, to reinstate them on the list - but from a group which seems to join Guterres in banning Inner City Press from (its) press conference.
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