UNITED
NATIONS, May
23, updated
-- Calling in
from Kigali,
Rwanda to the
UN noon
briefing in
New York,
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
described a
visit to the
genocide
memorial in
the
rain; somber.
Inner
City Press
asked if Ban
had met with
Congolese --
not Congolian
--
opposition and
if he was
aware of the
letter
directed at
him from the
wife of
opposition
deputy Eugene
Diomi
Ndongala.
While
still awaiting
an answer to
that question
[see below]
and another,
Nesirky's
office did
answer another
of Inner City
Press'
questions,
asked
recently at
the noon
briefing and
again Thursday
in writing:
"On
Uganda, I'd
like to ask
again if any
Secretary
General or
Secretariat
views on
actions
against the
media -- Daily
Monitor, Red
Pepper,
Dembe FM and
KFM -- in the
run up to the
S-G's
arrival."
Well
less than an
hour later,
this response
was provided,
which we
publish
in full:
Subject:
Your
question on
Uganda
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at]
un.org
Date: Thu, May
23, 2013 at
12:40 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Regarding
your
question on
media in
Uganda, the
Spokesperson
has the
following
to say:
The
issue
involving the
closure of
certain media
in Uganda has
been
brought to the
Secretary-General’s
attention.
The
Secretary-General
is not in a
position to
make judgments
about the
specific
circumstances
of this case;
however, it
goes without
saying
that for the
United
Nations, as a
matter of
principle,
freedom of
speech and
expression are
fundamental
and universal
rights.
The
Secretary-General
believes that,
in any
democracy, it
is essential
for there to
be freedom of
expression and
for the media
to be able to
carry out its
functions
freely and
independently.
We'd
like to know
more about
this bringing
to the
attention of
the S-G,
but the
answer's
appreciated.
Inner
City Press and
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access are
still waiting
for denouement
on the
attempted
ban on flyers
and on media
workspace in
front of the
renovated
Security
Council,
and on the
installation
of a UN
Security
camera
directly above
the entrance
to the office
of Inner City
Press
and FUNCA,
asked at the
noon briefing
on May 23.
Have
these,
particularly
the former,
been brought
to Ban
Ki-moon's
attention? Watch
this site.
Update:
later on
Thursday, the
UN told Inner
City Press:
"Regarding
your question
at noon on
whether the UN
has received a
letter
concerning
Eugene Diomi
Ndongala, of
the Democratic
Republic of
the Congo,
that letter
has not been
received so
far."
Then again, it
was a lettre
ouverte
-- an open
letter....
, 
