“By way of diplomatic silence, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon did not respond to the question posed to him regarding the situation in Tibet.” This was the caption given by Notimex, a Mexican news agency, to a photo taken during the first Geneva press conference of Mr. Ban, on July 2, six months after taking office.
At the press conference, Jean-Claude Buhrer, a former correspondent for Le Monde and the author of several books on the United Nations and human rights, told UN officials he intended to ask Mr. Ban about “the UN’s inaction concerning Tibet.” The officials proceeded to take questions for the Secretary-General from seven other journalists, but refused to call on Buhrer, an accredited journalist at the UN who now writes for France’s Politique Internationale.
Refusing to give up, Buhrer approached the Secretary General after the session, together with a group of colleagues, and posed his question.
“Mr. Secretary General, the UN is working on the independence of Kosovo. At the same time, one of the oldest nations of the world, Tibet, is still under foreign occupation and is one of the last countries under colonial rule since it was invaded by China in the 1950s. What about the implementation of the UN resolutions on self-determination for Tibet? And what will you do as Secretary General to facilitate a peaceful settlement between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama? Are you ready to meet the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who advocates non-violence, or is the UN more keen to reward those resorting to violent means?”
According to reports, after listening attentively to Buhrer’s question, the Secretary General seemed prepared to respond, but was immediately cut off by his spokesperson, Michèle Montas, and then led out of the room by his entourage, as a bodyguard carelessly knocked into the inquisitive journalist.
Is this the same UN that is entrusted with protecting freedom of expression worldwide?
Source: www.unwatch.org
