Myanmar
Opposition's Letter to UN Gets Lost in UNDP's Mail, As China Is Missing
from Stakeout
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, March 18 -- In Myanmar, five
members-elect of parliament who won in the 1990 elections but were never
able to take their seat say that on March 4 they delivered a letter for
UN Secretary-General Ban to the UN Development Program office in the
capital. Two weeks later, they complained of no response. At Tuesday's
noon briefing at UN Headquarters, Inner City Press asked about receipt
of the letter, which the authors say urges Ban to reject the military
government's draft Constitution because the opposition was not allowed
to be involved. Ban's spokesperson said, "I can try to find out
for you whether the letter was received or not. This is not directed to
Mr. Ban. It's directed to the Secretariat, whether they have received
the letter or not... What I suggest is that you ask Mr. Gambari
this afternoon."
While the letter was directed to Ban, not Ibrahim Gambari, late on
Tuesday Inner City Press managed to ask Gambari about the letter, that
was authored by U Nyi Pu of Arakan State's
Gwa Township Constituency, National League for Democracy's Dr Tin Min
Htut of Irrawaddy Division's Pantanaw Township Constituency, Pu Cin
Shing Thang of Chin State's Tonzang Township Constituency, and Dr Myint
Naing and U Thein Pe of Sagaing Division's Kanbalu Township
Constituencies . Gambari replied that, while he invites
communication to a range of parties, he was not aware of this letter.
Video
here,
last question.
If UNDP is, as it claims, the UN's operations arm in countries all over
the world, they ought to be able to transmit to the Executive Office of
the Secretary General letters which are so-addressed. Yet, after the
noon briefing, the Office of the Spokesperson replied, "you
asked whether the SG had received a letter from Myanmar
ex-Parliamentarians asking him not to recognize the draft Constitution.
The answer is no."
Earlier this year, UN Headquarters said it
had not
received a letter which 46 opposition legislators in Burundi said
they had delivered to the UNDP office in Bujumbura, asking for UN
protection from death threats. Spokesperson Michele Montas said,
"We haven't received that letter. As you
know, I was told, from what I read in the media, that letter was given
to the representative of the United Nations in Bujumbura. We have not
received that yet and I don't have anything on that." Two weeks
after the letter, the homes of four of the legislators were the subject
of hand grenade attacks, about which Ban, through his spokesperson,
expressed concern and alarm. Fool us once...
Messrs Ban and Gambari, the
document is not the 1990 MPs' letter
Footnote: on his way into the Security Council on Tuesday for
Ibrahim Gambari's briefing, Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya stopped off
camera to take reporters' questions. He emphasized that the UN cannot
make countries do anything, and said some see "a glass full or a glass
half full." He called Myanmar's draft Constitution a step forward.
According to UN TV, China has yet to speak on-camera at the Security
Council stakeout this year -- it's last appearance, in fact, was on
October 11, 2007, during the last consideration of Myanmar. Walk (and
talk) softly and carry...
Footnote 2: Having a "farewell call" with Ban Ki-moon on March
19 is Pak Gil Yon, departing Permanent Representative of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea. Inquiring UN minds want to know: retiring or
recalled? Watch this site.
* * *
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$200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.
Video
Analysis here
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