Inner City Press

Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis

Google
  Search innercitypress.com Search WWW (censored?)

In Other Media-eg AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

,



Home -

Follow us on TWITTER

These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis

CONTRIBUTE

ICP on YouTube

BloggingHeads.tv

Google, Asked at UN About Censorship, Moved to Censor the Questioner, Sources Say, Blaming UN - Update - Editorial

Support this work by buying this book

Click on cover for secure site orders

also includes "Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City"
 

 

 


Community
Reinvestment

Bank Beat

Freedom of Information
 

How to Contact Us



UN Half-Speaks on Detained Staff in Myanmar, Still Quiet on Ethiopia

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 29 -- After UN spokesman Martin Nesirky brought up the UN's work in Myanmar at Friday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked him about reports that authorities detained six UN system staff and six members of Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Nesirky said he would respond quickly with a prepared statement, and in fairness he did:

The UN Resident Coordinator in Myanmar has already reported to Government that some UN staff members were detained by the authorities in Rakhine State for questioning. The UN is still trying to get access to these staff, and out of concern for their privacy, the UN has decided not to release any personal or professional information about any detained staff. The Resident Coordinator has asked the Government for information about each detained staff member, making reference to the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN. The UN is still awaiting a formal reply.

It is a formal answer, understandable perhaps given the desire to simply get them freed. But, for example, the UN has stayed quiet about its Security staffer in Ethiopia who was first convicted, and then sentenced to eight years. A week ago on Friday, June 22 Inner City Press asked Nesirky:

Inner City Press: the case in, in Ethiopia where a UN staff member was found guilty of terrorism for having met or allegedly met with the Ogaden Liberation Front. You said that the UN was asking the Government for clarification... Now the, now the individual, Abdulrahman Sheikh Hassan, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. So I wonder: Did the UN get any clarification from the Government and is the UN lodging any protest at the imprisonment of its own staff member for speaking to a rebel group?

Spokesperson: We’re obviously aware of these reports, and if I have anything further beyond what was said on Monday, then I’ll let you know.

   But a week later, nothing. Sometimes could silence be consent? We'll retain an open mind. Watch this site -- and this Twitter timeline.

Share |


Click here for Sept 23, '11 BloggingHead.tv about UN General Assembly

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

* * *

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

Click here for Sept 26, 2011 New Yorker on Inner City Press at UN

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-253, UN, NY 10017 USA Tel: 212-963-1439

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Google
  Search innercitypress.com  Search WWW (censored?)

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

            Copyright 2006-2012 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com