Rigoberta Menchu Tells ICP of Killings of Indigenous in Guatemala, Vietnam Bans Visa?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- During the World Conference on Indigenous People, Inner City Press asked Rigoberta Menchu about recent killings of indigenous people in Guatemala, and how the UN Declaration has impacted Guatemala. 

  Rigoberta Menchu replied about the incident, involving the cement company San Juan; she referred to free, prior and informed consent.

 The president of the Sami parliament Aili Keskitalo began by saying the delegates to the WCIP from Russia had been blocked. Inner City Press had heard Vietnam also blocked delegates, and asked. The Sami parliament president said yes, she'd heard a delegate from Asia had been blocked. We'll see.

Back on Friday, September 19 while more than two dozen countries pledged support for Iraq against the Islamic State in the Security Council on September 19, who would speak on UNTV about it?

  For more than an hour the media was told that French foreign minister Laurent Fabius would be “coming to the stakeout” to take questions on UNTV. It was pushed back, then when finally Fabius emerged he rushed past the stakeout into the hallway, where he spoke only in French.

 Update: to be fair, the French Mission put out this transcript.

  So too with Turkey's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. When he emerged from the Security Council, hesummoned Turkish media down the hallway for a private stakeout. Some non-Turkish journalists weren't allowed to go, something protested by the Free UN Coalition for Access. But why not openly take questions?

  The three on-camera stakeouts that occurred were bySyria's Bashar Ja'afari, Iraq's Foreign Minister Jaafari (no relation, if that needs to be said), and Canada's John Baird. To the last of these, Inner City Press asked if before any bombing in Syria consent should be sought from Damascus or the Council. That has “yet to be determined,” Baird replied.

  Iraqi FM Jaafari, when Inner City Press asked if the Coalition should speak with Syria, seemed to dodge the question. But at least he took questions on camera, as did Syria's Ja'afari. Where were the others? Is this how GA Week will be? FUNCA in is on the case, including about faux UN press conferences like those held in the private club handed out by the UN to its Censorship Alliance. That group tried to get the investigative Press thrown out of the UN, now masquerades on media freedom. This is how the UN works. Watch this site.

   

On Indigenous Conference, UN President of the General Assembly "Fails on Modalities," Permanent Forum and States Speak Out

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 -- The failure of UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe to “show leadership” in setting up the World Conference on Indigenous People scheduled for September was strongly criticized on May 23.

For more than a week, Inner City Press has been asking indigenous leaders what they expected from PGA Ashe. Only that he implement the “modalities” already agreed to for the Conference, was the answer. One speaker, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, noted that Ashe's office had tried to blame a member state for blocking things but this wasn't true.

  But at 4 pm on May 23 in the General Assembly, when a statement was read out for Ashe, it said that “no consensus” had been reached, even on Monday's watered-down proposal, and that Ashe would be calling for another meeting next week. 

 There followed speeches of disappointment, not only from indigenous representatives but also countries: beginning with Mexico and Norway, through Denmark and Guatemala's Permanent Representative Rosenthal, heavily indigenous Bolivia, Finland, Australia and New Zealand.

 Nicaragua's deputy Permanent Representative spoke, then Sweden. Kenneth Deer called for full and equal participation. Panama spoke, and a representative of the United States, with obstructed view.

Earlier in the week Inner City Press asked Grand Chief Edward John from Western Canada about the proposed oil sands and tar sands pipelines there. He said the Harper government is expected to gives its approval. Then what?

Footnote: at these indigenous press conferences, the newFree UN Coalition for Access thanked the speakers; the old UN Correspondents Association was generally not there, except an appearance that triggers a response that Morocco is not in the African Union and therefore didn't participate in its programs. UNCA big wigs were trying a scam elsewhere, it emerged. Typical.

   

At UN, Indigenous Forum Tells Inner City Press World Conference May Be Canceled Due to Exclusion

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 12 -- As the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues starts up at the UN, Inner City Press on May 12 asked a PFII panel whether the planned World Conference will, in fact, happen or be boycotted and canceled.

  The response was that it is uncertain due to a blocking of full participation by indigenous people on the conference, including in drafting and negotiating what would be an outcome document. Nothing about us, without us -- that must at least mean such participation at the UN.

  Inner City Press so far has twice asked the spokesperson for John Ashe, President of the General Assembly, about the World Conference. 

 The second time the report was upbeat, everything is coming along. Now apparently now - but no public update from the PGA. The Forum, too, says it is waiting for more information but “don't hold your breath” on the Conference happening.

  Other sources told Inner City Press that instead of the Trusteeship Council Chamber which the Permanent Forum requested, they were sent to the North Lawn Building. 

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon didn't initially have a meeting scheduled but “a group of Indigenous people” was added to his agenda for 5:10 pm, just after a sure to be shrunk question and answer session on South Sudan. Watch this site.

Footnote: At the PFII press conference, the first question was given to, or taken by, Pamela Falk of CBS as the 2013-14 president of the UN's Censorship Alliance f/k/a UN Correspondents Association. Despite others waiting including Indigenous Television, Falk proceeded to ask three questions -- and then left the press conference early. 

 Before Falk left, she said “I weigh in as the Secretary General did on your election.” No, the head of a group that has tried to throw journalists out of the UN, and most recently obtained then covered up many fake Twitter followers is not “like the Secretary General” - right? The new Free UN Coalition for Access is asking. We'll have more on this.

   

On Indigenous Issues, World Bank Needs to Move to Consent, IMF Invisible, REDD in Question

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 28 -- Alongside the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN for the past week, there's been talk of the World Bank versus IMF as well as of the controversial Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, REDD or REDD Plus, program.

  Inner City Press on May 28 put questions about these to a panel including Mexico's outgoing ambassador to the UN in New York, Luis Alfonso de Alba, Grand Chief Edward John and Joan Carling of the Asia Indigenous Peoples' Pact.Video here, from Minute 11:41.

  Luis Alfonso de Alba, who is soon to move to Vienna, replied that the outcome document of the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples will be "very general" but will aim to address the areas on which governments need to do better.

  Joan Carling said that REDD Plus is, in fact, popular in Cambodia. Inner City Press cited opposition in Panama. She said it varies from place to place, depending on how it impacts indigenous people. She said it should be up to them, and not to NGOs which claim to work with them, "imposes their ideological views."

  Chief Ed John went further, citing Keystone, tar sands, the Exxon Valdes, BP and the Gulf of Mexico. He said his people in Canada still "take their fish" and are impacted by these policies.

  There were no other questions in the briefing room. Inner City Press, co-founded of the new Free UN Coalition for Access, thanked the panels generally and asked about the World Bank and IMF. Video here, from Minute 21:20.

  Joan Carling said she'd made an intervention during the session on the World Bank, about the needs for a human rights framework beyond "do no harm." (Even that would be a major step forward for the UN, considering for example their introduction of cholera in to Haiti.)

  Grand Chief Edward John pointed out that the World Bank speaks of prior "consultation" rather than consent. But what about the International Monetary Fund? What are they? Inner City Press put in the question to the IMF on May 23. Watch this site.