UN scribes up in arms against Russel Lee
by Manjula FERNANDO
The United Nations Correspendents Association has expressed
displeasure that Inner City Press blogger Matthew Russel Lee is
attacking the UNCA and the members of the Board of Examination set up
against him, in a reportage which they claimed 'one sided and a
distortion of facts'.
In the face of his intense attacks, one of the five members of the
Board of Examination has resigned forcing the UNCA to fill up the vacant
post with a new member, authoritative sources told the Sunday Observer
yesterday.
Lee is investigated by the UNCA for unethical reporting and
unprofessional behaviour among other things.
He is being accused of using his website as a weapon for attacking
and character assassination of his colleagues who has offended or come
to disagreements with him, the sources said.
Lee, writing in his blog on June 21 accused the UNCA examination a
'set up' to get an investigative journalist which he called himself,
expelled from the UN, a claim UNCA Executive Board has denied.
Refuting Lee's accusations that the Association has attempted to
suspend his UN accreditation, the Executive board has requested Lee to
post a full apology in his website for the personal attacks he had made
against the on going investigation and the members of UNCA including its
President Giampaolo Pioli.
Inner City Press began its attacks on UNCA President following its
sponsoring of a screening of Sri Lanka's film, countering the Channel
4's killing fields.
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