On
UN's
Ouster of ICP
1,230 People
Petition Ban
to
Restore Full
Access &
Office
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
6 -- Since the
UN threw Inner
City Press out
onto
First Avenue
on February
19, audio
here, a petition
to Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon and
his chief of
staff Edmond
Mulet to fully
restore Inner
City Press to
its long time
office and
Resident
Correspondent
accreditation
has been
signed by over
one thousand,
two hundred
and eighty
(1,280)
people. Some
sample
comments,
beyond those
previously
published are
below.
On
April 6, the
eviction
deadline set
still without
providing any
specifics on
the alleged
violation nor
any
opportunity to
be heard or
to appeal, the
petition was
presented to
Mulet and Ban
Ki-moon.
At
the same time,
the free
speech and
whistleblower
protection
organization
Government
Accountability
Project (GAP)
formally
asked
Ban to take
action to
reverse the
decision
that will soon
result in
Mr. Lee's
expulsion from
his office,
citing Article
19 of the
Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights.
Beyond
the more than
1,230
signatures,
here are some
of the
comments and
reasoning of
those signing
the petition,
beyond those
previously
published:
“Matthew
Lee
is very
outspoken and
a person of
his caliber
needs a
special
place in the
UN to tell the
truth to the
world which
other wise
will
go unchecked.
That is the
very reason he
has been
banned from
the
premises now.
If this is
left to
continue, the
UN will be be
turned
into a circus
of comedians.
It is time the
big guns who
run the UN
live up to
their
responsibilities.”
Appapillai
Rajendra,
Dunellen,
NJ
“I
support
freedom of
press. UN
should not
behave like
Government of
Sri
Lanka. If UN
has nothing to
hide why
fear?” Ambi
Seeva
“Due
process is
something that
must be part
of all
government.
The UN,
however, a
cancerous,
malignant,
cesspool of
inequality.
The deserve
to be
investigated,
exposed, and
shut down,”
Eric Brame,
Kissimmee,
FL
“There
are few
credible and
critical
journalists
covering the
UN. With the
incessant lies
and
obfuscations
by talking
heads there,
and
particularly
now with the
critical focus
on Syria and
Yemen,
journalists
like Lee, who
ask the
questions
which need to
be ask and
who document
the lies told,
need to be
inside the
UN,” Eric vd
Worp, Cape
Town, South
Africa
“As
a person
living in one
of the most
hot areas
(Darfur)which
has been
forgotten.
Matthew is my
voice.”
Ibrahim
SULIMAN,
El-Geniena,
Sudan
“Matthew
Russell
Lee has done a
huge service
to the
international
community by
bringing
transparency
and candor to
the daily
functioning of
the UN.
Limiting his
access is a
crime against
freedom of the
press. Without
his exposes on
Haiti, Sri
Lanka and so
many regions
on Africa, we
would have
been in the
dark on
matters of
crucial
importance for
human rights
and
international
security. It
is of utmost
importance
for the
credibility of
the United
Nations that
he be
reinstated
without delay.
The lack of
due process in
investigating
the alleged
incident that
led to his
expulsion is
disgraceful.
Matthew's
contribution
in bringing
transparency
to the
intermingling
of private
fortunes with
decision-making
by senior UN
officials has
been a
public
service, and
without this
dogged
investigative
reporter, our
ability to
understand and
rein in
potential
corruption in
UN affairs
will be
diminished. He
must
absolutely be
reinstated,
failing which,
UN Under
Secretary
General
Cristina
Gallach must
resign.” Nick
Jones,
Brussels,
Belgium
“I
believe in
freedom of
expression,
and
association;
and am against
bullying
smaller units
by the big
powers. Shame
on UNSC.”
Berhane
Alazar, Des
Moines, WA
“As
a writer and
analyst
covering
Mideast
geopolitics
from the
region, I
have often
relied on
Matthew Lee's
timely and
detailed
reports on
UNSC
deliberations
affecting this
part of the
world. He
brings nuance
to his UN
coverage that
is invaluable
for analysts
following hot
issues
unfolding at
the Security
Council. The
UN's actions
against
Inner City
Press border
on flat-out
harassment and
censorship of
an
unconventional
media voice. I
support
Matthew's
courageous
reporting
and urge
others to also
do so by
signing this
petition.”
sharmine
narwani,
london, United
Kingdom
“As
an employee of
the UN I am
appalled at
the corruption
and
incompetence
of our
leaders. It is
a sad moment
for the UN and
signals the
beginning of
the end. There
is no rule of
law in our
house.”
Eduardo Diaz,
New York, NY
“I
have huge
respect for
the integrity
and work of
ICP,” Michael
Barton,
Wellington,
New Zealand
“Uno
de los
trabajos mas
independientes
de
comunicación
en Naciones
Unidas,”
Abdeslam Omar
Lahsen,
Auserd,
Western Sahara
“I
want insider
news from the
UN,” Nevenka
Savovic,
Belgrade,
Serbia
“Matthew
Russell
Lee brought so
many stories
out to light.
By throwing
him, UN
is
implementing
news
censorship. If
Matthew did
wrongful
things, then
Ms. Gallach
should have
given him the
chance to come
up with his
side. Wrong!
wrong! wrong!”
ananther
boopathy-balavadivetkaran,
55246
Mainz-Kostheim,
Germany
“I'm
signing
because I
refuse to shut
down the last
voice of
Darfur inside
the
organization,”
rayan ibrahim,
Khartoum,
Sudan
“He
is one of the
few if not the
only
journalist
with total
integrity
willing to
tackle
corruption in
the UN and its
members states
his
reporting is
beyond value,”
nicholas
fowler,
brynteg,
United
Kingdom
“I
am incensed,”
Frances
Fortune,
Kitchener,
Canada
“As
a Darfuri
& human
rights
activist I
demand UN to
restore
Matthew
Lee,
representative
of Inner City
press, a
permanent
access to UN.
Mr
Lee is the
voice of the
victims &
truthfully
highlight our
issues. his
banning is a
farce to
silence
truth,” Dr
Muhammad Zkria
Faragala,
Nottingham,
United Kingdom
“I'm
signing
because if ICP
is not allowed
in to cover
the UN then
there
is no coverage
of the UN,”
Jack Serle,
London, United
Kingdom
“Matthew
Lee
has done more
for the cause
of pursuing
truth and
truth telling
in
international
affairs than
any other UN
Correspondent
over the
past decade,
plus. He
should be
allowed back
to the UN to
continue to
ask the
necessary
tough and
discerning
questions,”
Pavle Mikov,
Manhasset
Hills, NY
“ICP
is being
treated
unfairly ,
Mathew Lee is
a valued
journo,”
Nicholas
Georganis,
Australia
“UN
should restore
accountability
by ceasing
harassment of
journalist
Matthew Lee
who has been
one of the few
reporters to
report to the
world on those
hush-hush
Security
Council
meetings on
Syria,” Ray
Bergmann,
Brisbane, QLD,
QLD
“Give
ICP press
access so that
their
journalist can
give US brief
and
critical
information
about what is
happening at
the UN,”
daniel
Goitom,
Stockholm,
Sweden
, 
