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<title>Re: [governance] What IGF is for? ONI Asia event rattled by UN</title>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Ian:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Thanks for trying to take a balanced
approach. See my comments below<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>The Chinese Government did
complain about a poster in a public area. If it had been inside the door
instead of outside the door, there would have been no issue that the security
police apparently felt compelled to act on.<font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>This is
false. First, the banner was moved inside and the objections and negotiations
continued. Eventually the banner was removed. Hypothesis refuted, decisively. If
“being inside” was ok and “being outside” was not,
there was no reason to remove to banner from the room. There was only cause to
move it inside. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Calibri'>It is not clear who exactly the
Chinese complaint was to. It was not to the host country, the Chinese know
that’s not the appropriate way to do things. It would appear that the
complaint may have been direct to the UN Security Unit who have travelled to
all the IGFs and work closely with the Secretariat. Whether the Secretariat
proper had any strong role in the decision is unknown to me and to those close
to the event.<font color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I have
some specific knowledge about this, since I was there. The main who took charge
and made the decisions regarding takedown and removal was, I think Egyptian. When
I looked carefully at his badge to get his name he turned hiw badge around so
that I could not see it. When I asked him, “who are you?” he
refused to answer, saying only flippantly, “I am somebody.” This is
disgraceful behavior. If legitimate rules are being followed, the guy implementing
them does not need to hide. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Actually
I am pretty sure this guy was Egyptian, and that the complaint WAS to the host
country. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>In terms
of the basis of the objections, I have also heard people mention –
incorrectly it turns out – that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region
w:st="on">Tibet</st1:country-region></st1:place> was mentioned on the banner.
Now, I don’t think China shold be able to object to any mention of Tibet,
but just to be factual, the banner did NOT mention Tibet. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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