Kofi Follies: Annan Moves Leave U.N. Community Perplexed

In a series of what many call "bizarre" actions, U.N. chief Kofi Annan finds himself the target of sniping from various factions of the diplomatic community.

Late Tuesday, NewsMax's Stewart Stogel learned that the secretary-general, through his director of the Department of Public Information, Shashi Tharoor, moved to block a teleconference by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian with U.N. journalists, which was to be held in the correspondents club at United Nations headquarters.

The Chen news conference was tied to Taiwan's annual drive to regain U.N. membership, which it lost to Beijing in the early 1970s.

The mainland government has steadfastly maintained that Taipei needs no membership at the United Nations since Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China, which already has a permanent seat.

Taiwanese diplomats in NYC, who enjoy full diplomatic status (courtesy of the U.S. State Department), insist that Beijing does not and will not represent the 21 million citizens of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Hence, an annual standoff.

In the past, Annan and his predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, buckled under pressure from the Chinese U.N. mission and closed the NYC headquarters to anyone Beijing objects to.

Whether it be dissidents from Tiananmen Square, the Falun Gong or officials from Taiwan, Beijing always makes sure the U.N. welcome mat is rolled up.

Last year, Taiwan's ambassador in New York was barred at gunpoint from entering U.N. headquarters.

In the mid-1990s, Boutros-Ghali had the U.N. Correspondents Club bolted shut and then posted an armed guard to prevent a Chinese dissident student from addressing reporters.

The film of reporters who photographed the incident was seized by U.N. press spokesman Joe Sills.

Other dissidents, such as those from the Russian republic of Chechnya, as well as the Irish Republican Army, have been allowed to meet with U.N. reporters in their club without any interference.

The Chinese are the sole exception. The U.N., which normally says it "has no control over the club," always makes an exception to placate Beijing.

In a letter to U.N. reporters, Tharoor said that Annan "feels bound" by the interpretation of General Assembly resolution 2758 given to him by the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs, and therefore will not permit the U.N. correspondents to use their club to conduct a video teleconference with President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan.

In protest, the U.N. correspondents canceled the news conference.

Meanwhile, U.N. reporters are not the only folks "annoyed" with Annan.

In another bizarre decision, the secretary-general has decided to snub Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he comes to NYC next week for the annual General Assembly.

Russian diplomatic sources tell NewsMax the U.N. chief refuses to attend the opening of a photo exhibition celebrating 100 years of Itar-Tass (the Russian news agency).

"We are celebrating 100 years of Tass with an exhibition and reception at U.N. headquarters," explained one Russian source.

"The secretary-general was invited to attend the opening, to be hosted by our foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. He [Annan] declined ... twice!"

According to Russian sources, Annan's staff claimed he had "scheduling conflicts."

Before becoming foreign minister earlier this year, Lavrov was Moscow's U.N. ambassador for a decade and a senior member of the NYC diplomatic corps.

Many at Russia's U.N. mission were infuriated by the Annan move.

"We still have time to 'convince' him to attend," smiled one Russian diplomat. "It is in his best interest to attend," he added.

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