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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter PFT Q&A, NY Post

UNITED NATIONS GATE, June 6 – Inner City Press on July 5 was banned from entering the UN, the day after it filed a criminal complaint against UN Security for physically removing it from covering the meeting about the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' $6.7 billion peacekeeping budget, as witnessed and essentially cheered on by senior UN official Christian Saunders, tearing its reporter's shirt, painfully and intentionally twisting his arm and slamming shut and damaging his laptop. On August 17, Guterres' Global Communicator Alison Smale issued a letter banning Inner City Press from the UN - for life. With no due process. She and Guterres have put the UN in the US Press Freedom Tracker, here. Smale said, again, that the UN would answer Press questions to the Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his Office; Dujarric said the same on camera. On June 6 three hours before the UN noon briefing three days after Dujarric when asked for Guterres' comment on Tiananmen Square 30 years anniversary said "No, I have no particular comment on that," Vine video here, Inner City Press submitted 906 questions, including why it continues to be lawlessly banned from entering to ask questions in person: "There are more than 500+ questions UNanswered. And Monday Sept 17, Tuesday Sept 18, Wed Sept 19 and  Thurs and Fri Sept 21, that whole week, no questions answered. Nor Sept 25, nor 28th - nor October 2 nor 3. While appreciating and using what was belatedly sent on May 20 about sexual exploitation allegations and on March 28 in partial request to Inner City Press' questions about the UN bribery sentence of Patrick Ho of CEFC and CEFC's 2018 attempt to buy the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which paid the SG, no answers on Dec 17 or 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 - another FIVE days in a row, even as SG's direct conflicts of interest and failure to disclose emerge, and a newest low. No answers on January 30 nor 31 nor February 1 nor 4 nor 5 nor 6 nor 7 nor 11 nor 12 nor 13 nor 14 nor 15 nor 18 nor 19 nor 20 nor 21 nor 22 nor 25 nor 26 nor 27 nor March 1 - 27 (!) And now April 1, 3-30 (one answer in the entire month - corrupt), and now May 1-13, 15-17, 21-31, June 3, many questions. No answers at all during those four days of the US v Ho trial showing corruption in the UN says it all. This ban is just censorship - and Inner City Press must be allowed back into the noon briefing to ask its questions in person and follow up on them. 

June 6-1: On Cameroon, as Inner City Press asked on the morning of June 5 (a day on which the deputy spokesman while not responding on Cameroon did respond, at least partially, to a DC-based correspondent), what is the SG's response, after receiving Biya's golden statue and multiple meetings with Tommo Monthe only about his the chairmanship of the UN Budget Committee, on NRC now saying NRC: "Cameroon tops the Norwegian Refugee Council’s annual list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises launched today.   “The international community is asleep at the wheel when it comes to the crisis in Cameroon. Brutal killings, burned-down villages and massive displacement have been met with deafening silence... Still there has been no major mediation efforts, no large relief programmes, minimal media interest and too little pressure on parties to stop attacking civilians. The annual list of neglected displacement crises is based on three criteria: lack of funding, lack of media attention and political neglect. Cameroon scored high on all three"? 

June 6-2: On UN impunity and having brought cholera to Haiti, what is the SG's comment and action for UN accountability, if any, now that a cert petition has been filed to put the UN's impunity in Haiti before the U.S. Supreme Court? 

June 6-3: On China, human rights and the SG, what is the SG's response to reports that China has announced former Hong Kong police chief Andy Tsang Wai-hung’s nomination for the top post at the United Nations organisation fighting drug crimes - Mr Tsang's nomination could also be controversial for his management of the Occupy protests, during which tear gas was used on pro-democracy demonstrators.  That shone a spotlight on government efforts to clamp down on activists in the former British colony, with the gatherings of mostly students dubbed the "Umbrella Movement" after they used umbrellas to shield themselves from the pepper spray.  Concerns over the autonomy of Hong Kong's judicial system have increased, as the Beijing-backed government seeks an extradition bill that critics say could be used to target dissidents living in the city.  That legislation may have helped drive a record turnout of more than 180,000 on Tuesday night for Hong Kong's annual vigil to remember the Chinese military's crackdown in Tiananmen Square. Police put the number of attendees at 37,000. The nomination is China’s first attempt to fill a top position at a major international organisation since it detained Meng Hongwei, then the head of the global policing body Interpol, last year.  It was understood UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres would select a successor in a few months to replace the current executive director, Yury Fedotov of Russia, who had been in office since 2010"? 

June 6-4: Also on China and Hong Kong, what is the SG's response and action if any on the proposed revisions to two laws concerning extradition? Under existing legislation, the Hong Kong government can only extradite people to countries with which it has standing extradition agreements, or to other countries on a case-by-case basis. Changes to these arrangements must be ordered by the Hong Kong chief executive, who is handpicked by the Chinese government. In February 2019, the Hong Kong Security Bureau proposed changes to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, which would expand the case-by-case extradition arrangement to mainland China. Criminal suspects in China’s legal system are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment and unfair trials.  

June 6-5: Also on China, and press freedom, what is the SG's response and action if any one report that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its proxies have sought to increase their influence over media channels abroad. The approaches include “promoting the CCP’s narratives, suppressing critical viewpoints, and managing content delivery systems.”  These actions, the report argues, have undermined democratic governance, intervened in Chinese diaspora communities, and created a base for “political meddling"? 

June 6-6: On Sri Lanka, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that Muslim government officials, including all ministers and two governors, resigned yesterday from their posts following mounting pressure from senior Buddhist clergy and politicians.  Three ministers and five junior ministers resigned from their cabinet positions saying they had done so as a result of the "hate culture" against Muslims in government at present.   "We will continue to serve the government as backbenchers until we feel confident to serve again - once the hate culture and culture of impunity is removed from our country," Rauf Hakeem, the former minister of city planning said.His comments came as the Muslim Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, and the governors of the Western Province, Azath Salley, and Eastern Province, M L A M Hizbullah were forced to resign? 

June 6-7: On Thailand, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that Thai police have yet to arrest any suspects for the violent attacks, raising serious concerns about possible government involvement.  Sirawith Seritiwat, prominent pro-democracy activist, was assaulted in Bangkok on June 2, 2019, after he staged a peaceful protest against Thailand’s military junta.EXPAND Sirawith Seritiwat, prominent pro-democracy activist, was assaulted in Bangkok on June 2, 2019, after he staged a peaceful protest against Thailand’s military junta. © 2018 Private On June 2 at about 10 p.m., five unidentified men on motorcycles attacked Sirawith “New” Seritiwat at a bus stop on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok. They hit him multiple times with wooden sticks? 

June 6-8: On press freedom and Australia, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that Australian federal police raided the offices of national broadcaster ABC in Sydney this morning (June 5) with search warrants in relation to its 2017 series, The Afghan Files, which used leaked defense department documents to expose unlawful killings by the country’s military in Afghanistan? Specifically, what now is the SG's response to Acting Federal Police Commissioner Neil Gaughan defended the raids, which attracted local and international condemnation, arguing it was necessary to show that authorities took leaks of classified information seriously, to reassure other countries it was safe to share intelligence with Australian agencies.   Acting AFP Commissioner Neil Gaughan has defended the police's handling of raids into media organisations. Alex Ellinghausen  "If we don't take it seriously, it closes down an avenue of people providing the Australian intelligence and law enforcement agencies very sensitive information which ultimately does save lives." He said he could not rule out News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst or ABC reporters Dan Oakes and Sam Clark facing charges for publishing national security secrets? In the UN, what has the accountability been for Lt Ronald E. Dobbins and those those refused on camera to give their names? What is each of yours - particularly the SG's - response to the letter written and sent by Burundi activist Manisha Lievin? To the April 15 letter to the SG, DSG and USG Smale for which receipt has not even been acknowledged, other than a single lawless line from MALU: "Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M66561081, has been declined"? This is a formal request for the UN's explanation of grounds for this denied, and since SGcentral, the SG's chief of staff and Deputy SG and USG Smale haven't even confirmed receipt of the April 15 letter much less responded, for reconsideration. AGAIN, immediately explain how it is legitimate to ban from enter into the UN the media that has been asking about these and other questions, with no hearing or appeal.

June 4-2: On China, as Inner City Press repeatedly asked before the Spokesman's "no particular comment" conclusion to the June 3 noon briefing, on Tiananmen Square massacre's 30 anniversary, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that today "Hundreds of uniformed and plainclothes police monitored the square and its surroundings, conducting spot ID checks and inspecting car trunks. Rights groups said authorities had rounded up dissidents in the run-up to the anniversary and had detained, put under house arrest, or threatened dozens of activists in recent weeks.  While no public events to mark the anniversary will be tolerated in mainland China, demonstrators gathered in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.  There will also be events in self-ruled and democratic Taiwan, which China claims as its own. 

June 4-3: On UN sexual abuse and exploitation, AGAIN as requested on the morning of June 3 immediately disclose what IS the new "allegation of SEA" which the UN on the morning of June 3 announced by e-mail. Clicking through to the UN website, the previously announced case against South Africa peacekeeper is no longer at the top of the page, and it is unclear what the new allegation is. This lack of clarity is unacceptable.

May 15-3: On the Public Financial Disclosures for 2017 belatedly published over the weekend of April 27-28, please state why Mohammed Ibn Chambas, like the Executive Secretary of the UN Biodiversity Convention, Cristiana Paşca-Palmer, UNICEF's Henriette Fore, with documented links to ExxonMobil and others, USG Mark Lowcock (undisclosed while the Secretariat's speaker at the UNSC Arria on Cameroon), UNCTAD's Mukhisa Kituyi, UN Women's Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UNOG chief Michael Moller, UNDP chief Achim Steiner,  Heidi Mendoza, Adama Dieng, UN Security chief Peter Drennan, Rosemary DiCarlo and Nicholas Haysum, is not even on the list. OIOS chief Inga-Britt Ahlenius reported - why not Mendoza? Where IS Mendoza? Isn't it a bad practice for the UN's head (anti) genocide definition official to conceal from the public even cursory financial disclosure? Did DiCarlo decline to make any public disclosure despite being the UN's top political officer? What is the even plausible applicability of this line from SG Guterres' web page: "Please note that given the multi-cultural environment of the UN and the often security sensitive locations where UN staff are either working or come from, full public disclosure may not always be a viable or sensible option for certain staff members"? Why has Guterres changed the previous system in a which a "choosing not to disclose" statement was upload and listed, to one which helps conceal who reports and who does not?  Again, state why considering the UN bribery conviction of Patrick Ho of CEFC, and CEFC's attempt to purchase the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which paid Mr. Guterres in 2016 was omitted from his online public financial disclosure covering 2016, and why Guterres has not even started an audit of CEFC in the UN. 

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