UN chief 'bans free speech' - staff
United Nations staff expressed their anger at an order by the Secretary General prohibiting them from speaking to the press following the leaking of a confidential document related to Middle East which pained the the United States in negative light.
But Ban Ki-moon's office denied that he was treading on the freedom of speech of UN staff, and claimed that the prohibitions applied to specific cases.
"Once there are policy decisions that are taken from these policy papers, then you are made aware of it," Michèle Montas, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General told journalists referring to the de Soto report. "You are told about them. But there is a process of decision-making, which is not part of the public domain, which is normal."
But a reporter pointed out that the Secretary General's note only stated "staff should refrain from giving sensitive information to the press," and made no mention of any specific documents.
When asked whether or not the Secretary-General believes that on these issues of public interest the press has no right to know what’s being discussed, and angry spokesperson shouted at the reporter that Ban Ki-moon does believe in free speech.
"Well, of course the press has a right to know what’s being discussed," she said. "The press has a right to know what is being decided, essentially."
But UN staff member, who can speak only under the condition of anonymity given the Secretary-General's new directive, told Press Esc that they were not happy about the way Ban Ki-moon is trying to gag them, and promised to keep leaking news to the press.
"He's a pathetic lackey of the US who is dancing to the tune of the Bush administration," the staff member said. "He knows we are not happy about the situation, so he's trying to gag us. But don't worry. We'll keep leaking information to the press. We'll not stop blowing the whistle."
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