inner city press- as myanmar dissolves nld, un prior notice and efforts not clear, un meeting...

8/8/2019 Inner City Press- As Myanmar Dissolves NLD, UN Prior Notice and Efforts Not Clear, UN Meeting Undefined

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16.09.10 15:41Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

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As Myanmar Dissolves NLD, UN Prior Notice and Efforts

Not Clear, UN Meeting Undefined

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 15 -- In the wake of

Myanmar dissolving the National League for Democracy of

Aun Sang Suu Kyi, the UN Wednesday issued cautious

criticismin response to a question from Inner City Press,while implicitly admitting the UN and its envoy Vijay

Nambiar cannot or simply do not speak with the parties there.

Previously when Inner City Press has asked UN spokesman

Martin Nesirky about the NLD being absent from the

upcoming elections in Myanmar, which many call a scam,

Nesirky has responded with a UN position that the NLD was

free, and chose, to boycott the election.

But now that the government has dissolved the NLD and

other parties, the UN finally had criticism ready. Did it come

from UN envoy -- and chief of staff to Secretary General Ban

Ki-moon -- Vijay Nambiar? There is no way to know.

When Inner City Press what Nambiar and his Good

Office team have been up to, Nambiar first said you are

well aware. That is not the case. For example, did Nambiar

know in advance of the impending dissolution of the NLD?

Nesirky would not say.

Inner City Press what Ban plans to come out of the
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September 27 meeting of his Friends on Myanmar. While

already for the similar meeting about Sudan on September

24, also during the UN General Debate, there's talk of an

outcome statement about the planned referendum, Nesirky

merely said to watch for a press availability after the

September 27 meeting.

UN's Ban & Than Shwe: NLD, Aun Sang Suu Kyi and Vijay Nambiar not shown

From the UN transcript of September 15:

Inner City Press: On Myanmar and something about MDGs[Millennium Development Goals] promotion, promotions by theUN. On Myanmar, the National League, the NLD [National

League for Democracy] has been dissolved by the Government.They had previously voluntarily chosen to boycott the election,and I think the UN had said, well its up to parties what theywant to do. But now the Government has dissolved them and theparty. The NLD has said that this is an illegal move by theGovernment, that theyre protesting the dissolution of theirpolitical party by the Government. So Im wondering, given thegood offices role, given the run-up now to this election, whatsthe UN where it previously it sort of said, well, the NLD canboycott if they choose, what about the Government dissolvingthis historic force for democracy in Myanmar?

Spokesperson Nesirky: The Secretary-General notes with someconcern the decision by the Union Election Commission todissolve 10 political parties prior to the general election,including the National League for Democracy and four others forfailing to renew their registration, and he further notes that theUnion Election Commission has issued campaigning guidelinesfor the remaining 37 parties to register to contest the elections.The Secretary-General once again urges the Myanmar authoritiesto ensure conditions conducive for a fully inclusive andparticipatory electoral process.

Inner City Press: Thanks a lot for that. Whats the involvement ofMr. [Vijay] Nambiar in the good offices and what does theSecretary-General hope to come out of the meeting of the
http://www.innercitypress.com/contact.htmlhttp://www.innercitypress.org/foia.htmlhttp://www.innercitypress.org/bankbeat.htmlhttp://www.innercitypress.org/crreport.htmlhttp://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/db100915.doc.htm


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Secretary-Generals Friends on Myanmar in the upcominggeneral debate?

Spokesperson: Well, I think youre fully familiar with Mr.Nambiars good offices role related to Myanmar. The Group ofFriends meeting, which would be at ministerial level, is likely tobe on 27 [September]. Further details are being worked out onthat, including press availability, and I think at that point, after the

meeting, youll be able to find out the content of the meeting.

Inner City Press: Just about Mr. Nambiar, because Im actuallynot clear on what the office does. I wanted to know, onsomething like this, did they know in advance that this decisionwas being made by the Government? Had they spoken to theNLD about these concerns or are they just reacting to the storiesabout it? I dont meant that insultingly, I just mean, Im justtrying to get a sense, did that office try to forestall this decisionby the Government, or are they as mystified as everyone else?

Spokesperson: Well, there are a couple of things here. Mr.Nambiar has support, people who are obviously able to help him,who are monitoring this daily, the whole time. Therefore, theywill clearly have been aware of movements. What the diplomaticprocess might entail, Im not in a position to say. I wouldreiterate what the Secretary-General himself has said. Hesexpressed his frustration here on the access to the Myanmarauthorities to talk about these kinds of things, so I think thatmight answer your question.

So if Mr. Ban cannot speak with the Myanmar authorities,

despite the UN allowing them to take up to 25% of postCyclone Nargis aid money and declaring the response one of

his finest hours, it seems clear that Mr. Nambiar can't either.

What Good Offices? Watch this site.

* * *

As Myanmar Ends Visas for Cyclone NGOs, UN Looks

Away, Blessing Scam Election


UNITED NATIONS, August 23 -- In the run up to aNovember election which will exclude Aung San Suu Kyi

and her National League for Democracy, the military

government of Myanmar has moved to curtail the system of

entry visas for aid workers instituted after Cyclone Nargis.

While one might expect the UN, whose Secretary General

Ban Ki-moon once claimed this post-Nargis access as one of

his major accomplishments, to speak out against this re-

closing down of Myanmar, that has not been the case.

In recent weeks, Inner City Press has repeatedly asked the
http://www.innercitypress.com/un1elmyan081310.html


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,

UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky and UN officials who

appeared only on condition of not being named to list any

recent accomplishment on Myanmar of the UN's Good

Offices role. On August 20, Inner City Press specifically

asked if the UN or its envoy on Myanmar Vijay Nambiar,

Ban's chief of staff, had any comment on the visa crackdown.

Here is the UN's response in Inner City Press:

Subject: Your question on the TCGFrom: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply To: Matthew Lee [at] innercitypress.comDate: Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 3:25 PM

At the 43rd ASEAN annual meeting Hanoi on 1920 July 2010,the ASEAN Foreign agreed to officially to end the Tripartite CoreGroup (TCG) and the ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force (AHTF)by 31 July 2010 and to transfer the coordination role to theGovernment.

In light of the Governments announcement that Nargis relatedwork will be taken up by the relevant line ministries, the UNCT isengaging closely with the authorities to ensure that neededassistance in not interrupted.

There are today 15 UN agencies, 50 international organizationsand a similar number of local NGOs operating inside the countryand are working not only in the Ayeyarwaddy delta, but in allregions of Myanmar. Looking forward, the United Nations and

the Government of Myanmar have reached agreement forcollaborating on a two-year Joint Humanitarian Initiative (2010-2011) for Northern Rakhine State, a border area whose populationfaces a particularly difficult combination of socio-economic andhumanitarian factors.

So will the UN's current push for Pakistan end with a

similar whimper?

UN's Ban at Burma model village, follow through not shown
http://www.innercitypress.com/un1elmyan081310.html


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As elsewhere reported on the Myanmar visa crackdown,

this brings about several changes, none of them good for aidworkers or the cyclone survivors who can hardly make ends meet.First, as there is no single ministry overseeing aid work, aidagencies will have to sign cooperation agreements with individualministries... A veteran aid worker who declined to be named said

that it usually takes between four months and two years to obtaina cooperation agreement with a ministry and another five monthsto be granted a visa.

By which time, of course, the scam election entrenching the

military dictatorship will already have taken place -- with

what to some now seems the de facto blessing of the UN.

Watch this site.

* * *

At UN, Aung San Suu Kyi Absent from Ban's Statement AsFrom Myanmar "Sham" Nov 7 Election: Good Offices?


UNITED NATIONS, August 13 -- In the wake of the

Myanmar military government's announcement it will hold

what was quickly called its sham election on November 7,

with Aung San Suu Kyi still under house arrest, Inner City

Press asked UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky if Secretary

General Ban Ki-moon or his Myanmar adviser, Vijay

Nambiar, had any comment. Video here, from Minute 3:47.

At first, Nesirky had nothing to say. Later in the day's noon

briefing, a statement was brought to Nesirky. When he read it

out, it had no mention of Aung San Suu Kyi, the long

imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner who declined to meet

with Ban's previous Myanmar adviser Ibrahim Gambari.

Inner City Press asked, does Mr. Ban believe that Aung San

Suu Kyi should be able to participate in the election? Video

here, from Minute 9:34.

That's what it says, Nesirky replied, pointing at the

canned Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for the

Secretary General that he had just read.

But the statement didn't mention Aung San Suu Kyi.
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressbriefing/2010/brief100813.rm?start=00:03:47http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressbriefing/2010/brief100813.rm?start=00:09:34


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UN's Ban, Gambari and Nambiar, reference to ASSK not

shown

And earlier this month, Nesirky and his office walked awayfrom another similar statement, about Kashmir.

After India complained, the UN backtracked and noted that

the Secretary General himself had not said the words, they

were mere media guidance.

So what DOES Mr. Ban himself think of the Myanmar

elections?

Or his Special Adviser, who just got a new sign on the UNLibrary's third floor, despite rarely going to that office. When

Gambari left the job, the so called Good Offices role,

Nambiar was called a temporary fill in. But the post has yet

to be filled. Some Good Offices. Watch this site.

* * *

Click here for an Inner City Press YouTube channel video,

mostly UN Headquarters footage, about civilian deaths in Sri

Lanka.Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press March 12 UN (and AIG bailout) debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Feb. 12 debate on Sri Lanka

http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56

Click here for Inner City Press' Jan. 16, 2009 debate aboutGaza
http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17181#http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/18035#http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/18329#http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/18329?in=00:60:41&out=00:62:57http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/18329#http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/18635#http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtIW-Kx7QRQhttp://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17181#

inner city press- as myanmar dissolves nld, un prior notice and efforts not clear, un meeting...

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