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Gambari's Myanmar Visit
"Disappointing," UK Mission Says, UN Takes No Questions
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED
NATIONS, August 26 --
"Disappointing" is how the UN's Ibrahim Gambari's trip to Myanmar was
described Tuesday by UK Ambassador John Sawers. At the microphone
outside the
Security Council, speaking mostly about Georgia, Inner City Press asked
Sawers
if he and the UK think that Gambari's just-concluded trip, in which he
did not
meet with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, represented any progress.
Sawers
called it disappointing, but added that when Gambari returns to New
York, he
will speak to the Security Council, which will then "reflect on the
future
of [Gambari's] good offices mission." Video here,
from Minute 3:24.
Particuarly in the
context of
the "Security Council Working Methods" debate later this week, some
are sure to point out that Gambari's role is related to the wider
membership of
the General Assembly. At Tuesday's UN noon briefing, the spokesman for
the
President of the General Assembly went first, and Inner City Press
asked him if
the PGA has heard from Gambari since he left Myanmar, to set up a
briefing for
member states. Not yet, the spokesman replied, adding that such a
briefing
usually happens. Video here,
from Minute 10:46.
Gambari at UN, with Myanmar representative,
UN answers not shown
Another thing that should and nearly always does
happen is the
Secretariat taking Press questions at noon. But on Tuesday, Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman came late, spent eleven minutes reading out press releases
including
one about Gambari in Indonesia, and then said, "I'll take only one
question." Video here,
from Minute 22:21. So it was impossible
to ask how the Secretariat responds to the widespread disappointment
with its
performance in Myanmar, now from the UK Mission as well.
Inner City Press and other reporter stood outside
the
Secretary-General's monthly luncheon with the Security Council later on
Tuesday, hoping to ask Ban for his views on these questions. All of the Ambassadors came by, commenting on
the food and conversation. But no Ban. It turns out he left by a side
exit. The
menu, we can report, included wild mushroom risotto, plantain-crusted
mahi mahi
with carmelized hearts of palm and seasonal fruit with vanilla yoghurt
sauce.
In Yangon, Aun San Suu Kyi refused the food
delivered to her, just as
she refused Gambari's now useful visit, doing everything in her power
to let the
world know of Myanmar's plight. What will the UN do about it?
Watch
this
site. And this (on
South Ossetia),
this, on
Russia-Georgia,
and
this --
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