On Myanmar, Inner City Press Asks UN's Ging of Landgrabs in Kachin, Shan Statement, Ging Says Nambiar Is On It

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 2 -- When UN aid official John Ging held a press conference about Myanmar on March 1, Inner City Press asked him about the fighting in Shan State, and land grabs in Kachin. Video here. 

On both issues, Ging said that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Special Adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, is on the case.

   Inner City Press has covered Vijay Nambiar's role in the UN's response, such as it was, to the killing in Sri Lanka in 2009; more recently, his attendance, along with others (very) close to Ban, at the founding of the Global Sustainability Foundation of now-indicted Sheri Yan. We'll have more on this.

  Back on October 29, 2015, human rights and freedom of expression in Myanmar were the topics of UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee's UN press conference. Inner City Press asked her of reports of possible genocide against Rohingya, of Aung San Suu Kyi's relative silence on the issue, and if she works with UN “Good Office” envoy Vijay Nambiar, also relatively quiet about rights.

    Yanghee Lee answers were highly diplomatic -- too much so, some might say, if it is a genocide that's coming. She said that word is too strong; she praised Aung San Suu Kyi's statements about the rule of law. She said she works closely with Nambiar. Video here.

   Her approach can be contrasted with that of Marzuki Darusman, for example, on North Korea. Does the difference spring from different personalities, or from the positions of major member states, many of whom have been claiming a human rights win in Myanmar as in Sri Lanka, what ever the facts on the ground? We'll have more on this.

On October 22 when UN Rapporteur of Freedom of Expression David Kaye held a press conference before his appearance before the UN's Third Committee, his topic was whistleblower protection, on which the UN itself is particularly weak.

 When called on, Inner City Press asked Kaye about retaliation against UN official Anders Kompass for blowing the whistle on alleged child rapes by French troops in the Central African Republic. Video here and embedded below.

  Kaye said he would avoid speaking about individuals cases, but said that the UN suffers from a lack of transparency. He should know that while UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous is listed in the Kompass ruling(s) of the UN Dispute Tribunal as trying to get Kompass fired, Ladsous has refused to answer on his role, other than a terse “I deny that.” 

 Likewise, Ladsous has claimed the right to refuse to respond to ANY Press questions, in which the UN Spokesperson's Office has taken to backing him up. (When Ladsous did speak, he linked the peacekeepers' rapes to “R&R,” here.)

  Earlier this month, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked if UN Peacekeeping's MONUSCU mission had any comment or action on Burundian journalist Egide Mwemero being silenced then arrested in Eastern Congo. So far, none. These are cases Kaye could work on.

  Free speech ironies at the UN were on display right in Kaye's press conference. The representative of the UN Correspondents Association, which among other things took funds from now-indicted David Ng's South South News and then give it an award, and gave Ng a photo op with Ban Ki-moon at Cipriani, demanded to ask the first question, even claiming that the UN Department of Public Information has granted this “right” in writing. Where?

  In fact, UNCA leaders tried to get the Press thrown out of the UN, with missives to DPI, one of which (from Voice of America) was released under the US Freedom of Information Act, another of which Reuters' bureau chief has gotten Banned from Google on the claim that his anti-Press complaint was copyrighted. Is this is whistleblower? UNCA has become the UN's Censorship Alliance. We and the new Free UN Coalition for Access will have more on this, and on free speech issues through the UN system. 

Myanmar Invited for UN Peacekeeping by Vijay Nambiar, Ban Ki-moon No Comment on Anti-Muslim Marriage Law

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 27 -- Even as Myanmar denies the rights of the Rohingya, Karen and Kachin and other people, the UN is inviting it to contribute troops to UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, it was confirmed to Inner City Press on February 27.

   Earlier this month, Inner City Press asked the UN about the exclusion of "Rohingya" from upcoming UN-assisted census. On February 26, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: I've been meaning to ask about Myanmar, there is a report that Vijay Nambiar, when he was there, met with a defence services commander-in-chief and, the quote goes, said that Myanmar could contribute to United Nations peacekeeping operations, if interested. He essentially either solicited or left the door open for Myanmar to contribute UN peacekeepers. Since many people remain concerned, including Mr. [Tomas] Ojea Quintana, about a lack of rule of law and some abuses by the army and there is still [a United States] arms embargo on the country, is it possible to know whether Mr. Nambiar said that or maybe some variation on that and what the UN’s position is on Myanmar contributing troops?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Well, troop contributing is a conversation that would be had with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. So, I would need to check with them, and also with Mr. Nambiar on precisely what was said with that, in that meeting unless, bear in mind, that Mr. Nambiar on his trip had any number of troops with different officials.

 Twenty four hours later, Nesirky and DPKO had provided no answer. So, even limited two a mere two questions -- no Sri Lanka -- by Nesirky, Inner City Press on February 27 asked again about Myanmar. 

   Along with asking again if Nambiar invited Myanmar "peacekeepers," Inner City Press asked about president

"Thein Sein expressed his support on Thursday for four controversial laws on religion due to be considered by the country's parliament, including one that restricts interfaith marriages for Buddhists, a parliamentary official said. In a letter to lawmakers, Thein Sein urged the lower house to pass the bills aimed at protecting Buddhism, the predominant religion among Myanmar's estimated 60 million population, a lower house spokesman said. The interfaith marriage bill, if enacted, would mean a non-Buddhist man who wants to marry a Buddhist must convert to her faith, or face a 10-year jail sentence. The text would not apply restrictions to marriages between Buddhist men and non-Buddhist women. The draft laws could be presented to parliament for a vote as early as next month, sources said."

   Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Nesirky said he wouldn't comment even this law while it is pending. Next month? After peacekeepers?

  Later on February 27, Nesirky's office sent this to Inner City Press: 

Subject: On your question on Myanmar.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 2:59 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

"During his recent meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar’s Defence Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the question of Myanmar’s cooperation with the UN on peacekeeping was discussed. The Special Adviser explained that, like any Member State, Myanmar was invited to discuss its interest in specific terms with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations which would consider such a request in accordance with its regular parameters."

   Under Ban and Ladsous, UN Peacekeeping has been advised by controversial Sri Lanka military figure Shavendra Silva; Ladsous has accepted a child soldier recruiter and user into "his" mission in Mali. Myanmar may be next.

   Is the UN still in denial about the exclusionary census it is supporting in Myanmar? Back on January 24, Inner City Press asked UN spokesperson Farhan Haq:

Inner City Press: another Myanmar question. There is a census coming up. It seems that the United Nations system is involved in funding and maybe even participating in it. Both Kachin and Rohingya groups have expressed a lot of concerns. One, there is no box in the census thus far to check Rohingya, meaning… implying that they are not citizens. Also, Kachin, they have other complaints. I wanted to know: is UN aware of these? What steps are they taking, and will they fund a census that many groups think makes things worse rather than better?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: Well, we will look into what we are doing on that question. We need some details about that.

  It was 19 days later, on February 12, that the UN Spokesperson's Office finally sent this response:

Subject: In response to your question on the Myanmar census.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 5:02 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is the focal UN agency for providing technical and programmatic assistance to the Government for the census. It says that everyone in Myanmar will be counted in the census. UNFPA is supporting the Government to ensure that the census is fully inclusive and conducted according to international standards. Respondents will be asked to identify their ethnicity, with the option of selecting one of the categories used in the 1983 census or selecting "other" and writing in the name of another group. All of the responses will be coded and tabulated.

  Compare this belated Pollyanna answer by the UN and UNFPA to what the Myanmar government Minister for Immigration and Population U Khin Yi openly says:

"They say that their race is Rohingya. When a person says that his race is “B”, because he doesn’t want to mention his race as “A”, that means that race “A” no longer exists, but the race “B” is a new race. Since race “B” is a new race, there will be questions, such as “how did the race enter (the country)?” or “are they encroaching here?” When things become radical, I worry that it could harm peace and stability...We will record what the person says. If he says “A” then we will fill the form as “A”. The result will be, like I said before, that even if that term “A” is Rohingya, we will not recognize Rohingya as one of the 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar."

So this is "fully inclusive and conducted according to international standards"? The UN is at best in denial. Watch this site.

Footnote: It appears that on-again, off-again UN official Charles Petrie is about to set sail from Myanmar. He was quoted earlier this year: "In terms of MPSI we want to make sure whatever we do adds value, and there’s a clear sense that if there isn’t we won’t continue." Watch this site.

   

In Myanmar, UN Belatedly Speaks on Kachin, After Press Question Asked Despite UN Censorship Alliance, CBS Filler

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 26 -- In Myanmar earlier this month, Vijay Nambiar of the UN was petitioned earlier this month in Kachin State to intervene for more than 50 villagers trapped by the army in Putao District's Nhka Ga. 

  But it now appears that until the question was asked at the UN on October 24, nothing was done.

   Inner City Press was contacted and told nothing had been done by the UN, and so asked the question at the October 24 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: I am told Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar met with the Kachin Baptist Convention about villagers in a far part of Kachin that are reported to be trapped by fighting and they made a plea to Mr. Nambiar for the UN to somehow get involved. What’s been done since that? It was done earlier in October before the mid-point of the month and I wanted to know what if anything has been done.

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I’ll check with Mr. Nambiar, who, as you know, has been in the region quite recently, so let me see about that.

Then Nesirky's office sent this:

Subject: Your question on Myanmar
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 5:32 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

During his recent visits to Kachin, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, met with a number of groups representing civil society in Kachin, including with the representatives of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC). He heard directly of the grievances between the parties and the effect of the standoff between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the military on the civilian population in the area. The Special Adviser has been in touch with the authorities, as well as with the KIO, in regard to the causes underlying this tension. He strongly advised restraint by all concerned and against any action that was liable to provoke further tension as well as for the protection of the safety and security of the civilian population in the area.

   This answer was not inserted into the UN's transcript, as certain other answers are. Inner City Press asked about it again, see below.

 
  Then lo and behold, the UN in Myanmar belatedly put this out:

Yangon, 25 October 2013: The UN is deeply concerned by the situation of civilians affected by renewed clashes between Myanmar Army troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Mansi Township, Southern Kachin State. Fighting between the two sides broke out on 22 October 2013 near the villages of Nam Lim Pa and Mung Ding Pa.

The UN estimates that 1,200 internally displaced people live in Nam Lim Pa and some 500 civilians, mostly children, are sheltering in a church in Mung Ding Pa. Many displaced children have been hosted for long time in a boarding school in the area, and are now again trapped in a conflict zone. While some people have been able to escape the violence, many are unable to move to safer locations. “I am seriously concerned about the civilians being caught in any cross-fire, especially children and the elderly,” said Mr Nigam, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar. Mr Nigam strongly urges all parties to respect civilian’s fundamental right to freedom of movement and allow safe passage to their areas of choice.

The UN and partners delivered assistance through cross-line operations to this area for 1,300 IDPs in July 2012. A further mission planned for September 2013 was canceled because of renewed fighting. Local partners are currently unable to reach these locations, and the displaced have only food for a few days, according to local sources.

“Hostilities must cease and access to the displaced people for humanitarian partners be granted immediately as these people are in urgent need of assistance,” Mr Nigam stated.

  Meanwhile at the UN, praise of Myanmar continues, even as IDP camps in Kachin are overrun by the government.  There was this report: "Nambiar is reported to have responded to KBC's requests to intervene by telling the church representatives to raise the issue with the relevant Burmese officials. Despite the fact that KBC has asked on several occasions for the villagers to be allowed to leave Nhka Ga, the military has yet to allow this to take place, according to KBC officials."

  On October 25 Inner City Press went to the UN press conference by Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana. The UN had put his with two other officials on migration, one of whom spoke for ten minutes praising his own country.

Finally Inner City Press asked Ojea Quintana about Kachin He did not answer on the specifics -- perhaps he will look into it -- but said that there is no recourse for people in land disputes.

 Perhaps we'll still hear from Mr. Nambiar, what was or was not done.

More was not possible, in part because the UN insists on automatically giving the first question such press conferences to the Executive Committee of the UN Correspondents Association. 

 The head, Pamela Falk of CBS, goes and asks questions many of the answers to which she never reports. 

   Now, a day after her questions, a Google News search for CBS and Ojea Quintana finds only... Inner City Press' story about the press conference. The question was just to fill space -- blocking other questions. 

  The second questioner, also from the UNCA Executive Committee, solicited a ten minute answer praising her own country. This is UNCA. This is why it works so well the the UN. During the briefing, the Free UN Coalition for Accessput an objection on the record. Video here, from Minute 40:14 and see first two questions. We'll have more on this.

   

In Myanmar, UNclear If UN Helped Trapped Kachin Villagers, UN Manages Questions, FUNCA Objects

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 25 -- Amid a chorus of praise for Myanmar at the UN, at least tempered by outgoing rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, Vijay Nambiar of the UN was petitioned earlier this month in Kachin State to intervene for more than 50 villagers trapped by the army in Putao District's Nhka Ga.

This week, Inner City Press was contacted and told nothing had been done by the UN, and so asked the question at the October 24 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: I am told Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar met with the Kachin Baptist Convention about villagers in a far part of Kachin that are reported to be trapped by fighting and they made a plea to Mr. Nambiar for the UN to somehow get involved. What’s been done since that? It was done earlier in October before the mid-point of the month and I wanted to know what if anything has been done.

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I’ll check with Mr. Nambiar, who, as you know, has been in the region quite recently, so let me see about that.

Then Nesirky's office sent this:

Subject: Your question on Myanmar
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 5:32 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

During his recent visits to Kachin, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, met with a number of groups representing civil society in Kachin, including with the representatives of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC). He heard directly of the grievances between the parties and the effect of the standoff between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the military on the civilian population in the area. The Special Adviser has been in touch with the authorities, as well as with the KIO, in regard to the causes underlying this tension. He strongly advised restraint by all concerned and against any action that was liable to provoke further tension as well as for the protection of the safety and security of the civilian population in the area.

So what was done? This answer was not inserted into the UN's transcript, as certain other answers are. Now there are reports that, in fact, nothing was done: "Nambiar is reported to have responded to KBC's requests to intervene by telling the church representatives to raise the issue with the relevant Burmese officials. Despite the fact that KBC has asked on several occasions for the villagers to be allowed to leave Nhka Ga, the military has yet to allow this to take place, according to KBC officials."

So on October 25 Inner City Press went to the UN press conference by Special Rapporteur on Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana. The UN had put his with two other officials on migration, one of whom spoke for ten minutes praising his own country.

Finally Inner City Press asked Ojea Quintana about the Kachin villagers in Nhka Ga, said to be pushed for the tycoon Tay Za. Inner City Press also asked if there is a two child policy in Rahkine State.

Ojea Quintana said he's told there is no "policy," but perhaps a practice. What's the difference? He did not answer on the specifics of Nhka Ga -- perhaps he will look into it -- but said that there is no recourse for people in land disputes.

More was not possible, in part because the UN insists on automatically giving the first question such press conferences to the Executive Committee of the UN Correspondents Association. 

 The head, Pamela Falk of CBS, goes and asks questions many of the answers to which she never reports. Then the second questioner, also from the UNCA Executive Committee, solicited a ten minute answer praising her own country. This is UNCA. This is why it works so well the the UN. During the briefing, the Free UN Coalition for Accessput an objection on the record. Video here, from Minute 40:14. We'll have more on this.

   

On Myanmar, UN "Amends" Ceasefire Error After Inner City Press Report, No Explanation, Banning Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- Even when the UN tries to fix or "amend" one of its errors, does it disclose it and explain what it changed? No.

On May 31 the UN News Center said, of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Myanmar, that "Ban welcomes ceasefire agreement in Kachin."

As Inner City Press wrote and published on May 31, there was a problem: no ceasefire has been agreed to. Inner City Press obtained and put online the actual agreement, here.

On June 1, without further explanation, UN News Center changed its statement, adding that "This article has been amended as of 1 June 2013."

Changed how? Why? The UN does not say. Compare June 1online version, here, to version Inner City Press saved on May 31, here. Screen shots shouldn't be necessary to avoid being deceived by the UN.

  UN News Center is run by the UN Department of Public Information, whose official Stephane Dujarric has, among other things, demanded explanations of a single on the record tweet by Inner City Press while doing nothing about others'. 

  Dujarric told Inner City Press how it should and should not cover and refer to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his chief of Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous. That was attempted censorship, particularly when done by the UN official in charge of UN Media Accreditation.

  It is amazing that a Department of Public Information which seeks to give such "lessons" in journalism would make a major change to an erroneous report -- there WAS no ceasefire agreement -- without disclosing what was changed and why.

  This same DPI and Dujarric are in the process ofeliminating media workspace and a media table in front of the UN Security Council for years. Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have questioned and opposed the planned reduction in media access since they were shown the rules, on May 20.

  Before addressing FUNCA's track change comments, Dujarric replied that there will be no table. No one will say when the rules go into effect, or who beyond the old UN Correspondents Association Executive Committee agreed to them. 

  On May 31, DPI finally tried to justify the refusal to allow a table where it would fit by saying diplomats in the so-called Turkish Lounge would think the press was eavesdropping on them. Some respect for the media, and principles. We'll have more on this.

  There's more to report on Myanmar -- we'd prefer that to be the focus here, rather than having to spend time fighting to maintain was media workspace and access existed before Ban Ki-moon and this DPI -- including that there have been, Myanmar sources tell Inner City Press, no UN aid convoys to the refugee camps in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization since February.

Ban's envoy Vijay Nambiar is supposed to be advocating for this but it appears he has done little about it, the sources say. Meanwhile humanitarian conditions in the camps in KIO controlled areas remain poor. It is now rainy season so water borne disease will definitely be more of a problem. 

 What a good job this UN does - reduce aid and media workspace to report on it, cover up mistakes. Watch this site.

On Myanmar, UN Misleads With "Ban Welcomes Ceasefire Agreement in Kachin," DPI Spinning As on UNSC Media Access Reduction?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 31 -- What's wrong with the UN? On May 31 it said, of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Myanmar, that "Ban welcomes ceasefire agreement in Kachin."

There is only one problem: no ceasefire has been agreed to. Inner City Press has obtained and now puts online the actual agreement, here.

Likewise it is reported that Myanmar "and ethnic Kachin rebels signed a preliminary agreement on Thursday...The parties however, failed to reach an official ceasefire agreement."

So why would the UN, through its Department of Public Information, misleading announce that "Ban welcomes ceasefire agreement in Kachin?" (DPI's reporting was criticized during the recent UN Committee on Information meetings, which Inner City Press covered, as gently as possible.)

This is the same Department of Public Information which has been claiming for ten days that eliminating a media worktable that existed in front of the Security Council for years, before the relocation for renovation and since, is in fact somehow NOT a reduction in media access.

That claim is false. At best we can say that some atop DPI don't understand, or don't want to understand, how coverage of the Security Council has worked for years now, with reporters using laptops on a table in front of the Council in order to be there when ambassadors leave in the middle of meetings, or speakers come during all day open debates. To stand for hours is unnecessary: but it's what Ban's DPI and its partners are for now demanding.

Perhaps rather than inaccurately playing at reporting, DPI should pay more attention to its claimed role of ensuring the independent journalist can cover the UN and how deals are done here. Some deals are ugly, including deals to mislead, and misleading about deals.

So is it that the UN's DPI, on Myanmar, is intentional misleading about what was agreed to in Kachin? Or, like how the Security Council has been covered for years, is it that they just don't understand or don't care? We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

UN Silent for 2 Days on 2-Child Policy for Rohingya, Nambiar on "Cordial" Kachin Talks, UN Women Odds

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 30 -- Imposing a two child policy on Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine State seems like something of which the UN would be immediately suspect and critical.

But not this UN, apparently. Two days after Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey if Ban or his Myanmar "Good Offices" envoy Vijay Nambiar had any comment on the policy, still there is none. There is, however, a statement about Nambiar's presence at and view of the government's Kachin talks.

On May 28 Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: In Myanmar, there are these talks between the Government and the Kachin rebels, it is said that Vijay Nambiar was part of it. But it wasn’t clear what his role was. There are some reports that the UN [in] Yangon wouldn’t say it. What is his role, and also, does the UN have any comment on the announced two-child policy in Rakhine State for Rohingya Muslims?

Deputy Spokesperson: We’ve seen the reports of the announcement of two or two-child policy in Rakhine State.When we have something for you, we will get it to you. And Vijay Nambiar travelled to the country over the weekend, we will update you on what he is doing as soon as we get that information.

Two days later, nothing on the outrageous two-child policy. What is the UN coming to? But there's this, on or from Nambiar (who when in New York remains one of the few Department of Political Affairs affiliated people still based in the emptying North Lawn Building) --

Subject: Your question on Vijay Nambiar.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, is attending the peace talks that began yesterday. This is the first time that such talks have taken place inside the country between the Government negotiators and Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO). The request for the presence of the UN as an observer was made by the KIO and was agreed to by the Government. The Special Adviser reports that the talks started on a cordial note, with both sides stressing their commitment to achieving peace and reconciliation in Kachin.

  There's buzz around the UN wondering what the relation might be between Nambiar and India possibly getting, on a non-interim basis, the top post at UN Women. Or will it goFinnish? Watch this site.

As UN's Ban Ki-moon Welcomes Myanmar Ceasefire, Firing Continues, Don't Rely on UN News?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 21 -- The UN through Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised a Myanmar ceasefire that was never implemented. On January 21 Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman:

Inner City Press: a UN News Service piece yesterday, in which the Secretary-General, welcomed the ceasefire in Kachin State by Myanmar, it seems like there were reports that in fact fighting continues. Is that, I’m sorry, I see you’re looking puzzled, maybe I am asking it wrong --

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: The simple… Well, finish your question.

Inner City Press: I understand a ceasefire could be announced and not fully implemented, but what does the UN say of reports that fighting and death continues? Is it as some say that the Government wants there to be a ceasefire and hasn’t reached its troops somehow, or is the UN troubled by the public announcement and the continuing fighting?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, a couple of things: I don’t think you need to look for a statement by the Secretary-General on the News Centre, a fine place though that maybe. The statement was issued last night and you should have received it. If you didn’t, let me know, and we will check to make sure that you do receive the statements in the future.

I would draw your attention to the first sentence of that statement, which says: The Secretary-General welcomed the announcement by the Government of Myanmar on Friday of a ceasefire in Kachin and has been following the various reports from the ground on its implementation. And then it does say: He calls upon both sides to make serious effort to create conditions for sustained peace in Kachin through enhanced confidence-building measures and political dialogue. So, also there is the question of access to civilian populations, and we continue to call for that.

Mr. Nambiar was, as you saw just last week, in the region, and indeed not just in Myanmar, but in Kachin. And he did put out a statement on his return that was quite detailed, I think.

   But the reality on the ground was quite different. As recounted to Inner City Press by an informed observer:

It's pretty clear that the government's ceasefire announcement was a public relations move aimed to please the international community and perhaps Ban Ki Moon himself  While the army has scaled down its attacks on Laja Yang, a key area less than 6 miles from Laiza (KIO capital) that had been the focus of a lot of fighting over the past three weeks, heavy fighting continued not very far away over the weekend and on Monday.

For the last 72 hours since the 'ceasefire' announcement the army continued to hit KIO position in other areas very close to Laiza, to the north and to the west.  The army has also continued to hit areas near Mai Ja Yang, the KIO's second largest town, where the UN teams delivered relief supplies to IDP camps from April until June when the government stopped them from doing this.

Why Ban Ki Moon's office chose to release a statement on Jan 20 heralding the ceasefire announcement when its pretty obvious there is no ceasefire raises a number of questions. 
It would be interesting to see what on earth Nambiar is doing about this whole thing.  As you know he did little if anything to bring about a peaceful solution in Sri Lanka and facilitated the dreadful white flag incident.  Nambiar's statement released last week following his trip to Burma was pretty bland and didn't mention him meeting with anybody other than government officials. The press release did say he met with the President's chief negotiator Aung Min, whom the KIO have repeatedly and very publicly said they that no longer trust.

  But the questions raised... will not be covered in UN News Service. Inner City Press is informed that they and UN Radio can only rely on the UN's own statements, facts on the ground be damned. We will seek answers, including for correspodents not physically present in the UN Headquarters, from Nambiar and beyond. Watch this site.