UN As Colonialism: Permanent Five Rule on Malvinas, Cuba Blockade; Of French Polynesia and French-Led DR Congo Trip

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 7 -- Some say the UN's golden age, if one existed, was when a slew of countries became independent. 

 But Monday afternoon in the UN basement, when the Special Political and Decolonization Committee met, the UN as a vehicle for neo-colonialism was in view.

  Country after country decried the UK's claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas, which it calls Falkland Islands. In reply, the UK simply reasserted sovereignty. It has a permanent veto on the UN Security Council, one of five.

  Many countries denounced the US for ignoring General Assembly resolutions calling for an end of its blockage on Cuba. But the US has another of the five veto-wielding seats on the Security Council. Reuters at the UN highlighted a piece about the blockade -- not even written from or about the UN, but mocking this as the 22nd request.

  It was UNclear what Reuters said about Malvinas - in the past, Reuters' UN bureau chief has tried to act in the UK's favor, mocking how long Argentina's foreign minister's family has been in that country.

  Something new this year, on the Committee's list of non self governing territories, is French Polynesia, which along with Western Sahara (where France long opposed any UN human rights monitoring) and Guam will be debated Tuesday.

  While Monday's opening session took place, the Permanent Representatives of the UK, US, Morocco and others were traveling in Africa -- "led," according to the UN, by France's Deputy Permanent Representative.

  In a nitty-gritty but telling example of the UN as colonialism, France was allowed to alone decide which media could accompany the Security Council delegation and fly, for free, on the UN plane. (See UN admission to Inner City Press, on video, here.)

  This despite being only a co-leader of one of the trip's four legs. (Rwanda, for example, co-led one leg but has said it was allowed no role in deciding about press coverage.)

France chose and was rewarded by Reuters, and US state media Voice of America.

  What's the point of running for the Security Council if one is still so excluded? If Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deems fit to openly meet first with only the Permanent Five members, for example on Syria?

  But the debate will continue, for example tomorrow Tuesday down in the UN basement, and this coverage will continue, undaunted, doubling down. The UN was supposed to be against colonialism, not embody it. Watch this site.

On South China Sea, Experts Deem UN Irrelevant, Consumed with Syria, LOST

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 30 -- When two experts on the South China Sea dispute spoke and took questions for an hour on Monday, for the first forty minutes the words "United Nations" arose only once, as the beginning of the phrase "Law of the Sea Treaty," or LOST.

   Inner City Press asked, could the UN play any role in this dispute? Did Secretary General Ban Ki-moon even raise the issue during his recent travels?

   Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic & International Studies said the UN is "overwhelmed" with too much on its plate, mentioning Syria.

   Inner City Press recounted an interchange in the UN General Assembly in May of this year, when Philippines made a reference to the "West Philippines Sea" during a morning session on mediation. China's Deputy Permanent Representative Wang in the afternoon session chided "a representative this morning" and said he disagreed, that the "South China Sea" should be addressed "bilaterally."

   Joshua Kurlantzick, Council on Foreign Relations fellow for Southeast Asia, replied that the Philippines is in a weak position and throws things "up on the wall to see what sticks." He too found UN involvement unlikely. He also said that ASEAN has a weak hand, and has played it weakly.

   On this, a representative of US-government agency Radio Free Asia asked for a grading, on a scale of one to 10, of ASEAN's efforts, as well as whether "Mister Panetta" should send in more Marines.

   The grading effort was eschewed, but on Marines Ms. Glaser mentioned the new deployments to Guam and Darwin, Australia, adding that for any encounter with North Korea, Marines would be important. Ah, spheres of influence. Watch this site.