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Local press barred from WHA again

Journalists holding Taiwanese passport were denied press accreditation by the Geneva-based UN Department of Public Information (DPI) to cover the World Health Assembly (WHA) next week as the UN does not recognize passports issued by the Taiwanese government, which is not a member of the UN.

"The problem with your application [for press accreditation] was that you have a Republic of China [Taiwan's official title] passport. We can't issue you with press credentials because your country is not recognized by the UN," Cathy Fegles, the UN DPI staff member in charge of the WHA's press accreditation told the Taipei Times by telephone when this correspondent asked to apply for press accreditation.

"Do you have a second passport? If you have a second passport, we'll be happy to issue you with press accreditation," Fegles said.

So far only one Taiwanese journalist, who also holds a German passport has been granted media accreditation.

This was the question confronting every Taiwanese journalist wishing to cover the upcoming WHA when applying for press accreditation. This year is the third since the UN began rejecting journalists holding a Taiwanese passport.

A media and communications officer from the WHO explained to Taiwanese journalists on Friday that because the WHO rented the UN building as the venue for the WHA, it had to respect the UN when taking charge of press accreditation.

"We'd be happy to allow every journalist in to cover the WHO's events. It's just that the meeting is held in the UN's premises and so we have to respect the UN's decision on issuing press passes," the WHO media officer, who wished not to be identified, said.

According to the UN's Web site regarding the criteria for media accreditation, the UN DPI must be satisfied that "individuals applying for accreditation are bona fide media professionals and represent bona fide media organizations [formally registered as a media organization] in a country recognized by the UN's General Assembly."

In addition, the UN requires that applicants present a valid ID which must include "a current passport from a State recognized by the UN General Assembly" in order to obtain press accreditation.

The WHO media officer admitted the issue is a political matter since the People's Republic of China replaced Taiwan as a UN Security Council member in 1971.

She said it would be no use making any further protest on the issue as it would only invite more oppression from a "certain country," implying that China will only take a tougher stance in suppressing Taiwan over the issue.

The issue could only be resolved through long-term deliberation, she said.

The International Federation for Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders and the Association of European Journalists recently also expressed their disapproval of the UN's ban on Taiwanese journalists from the WHA.

General Secretary of the IFJ Aidan White wrote a strongly-worded letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on May 10 calling on the UN to lift the ban on Taiwanese journalists covering the health assembly.

"It is not authority derived from the formal resolution which removed Taiwan from the roll of membership of the UN, but appears to be an administrative matter governing who may or may not enter UN buildings," White wrote.
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