His Excellency Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Secretary General
United Nations
New York, NY
USA

Vienna, 4 October 1993

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), representing over 2000 journalists and editors from leading newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organizations and news agencies in 68 countries, is most concerned about the revocation by the United Nations Secretariat of the right of the Central News Agency’s New York correspondent to cover the international body.

IPI is informed that the Secretariat withdrew the accreditation for CNA journalist and correspondent David Wang on 23 September, only two weeks after it had granted Wang that right on 9 September. The reason given was that CNA is a government organ of the Republic of China, not a UN member, and that its earlier decision had been a mistake.

IPI strongly opposes this move by the United Nations Secretariat which should be, above everything, the foremost defender and guarantor of such fundamental human rights as the freedom of expression, freedom of information and freedom of the press., as expressed in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Although CNA does receive partial funding from the ROC government, it is a private and independent news corporation with its operations free from government interference.

As such, and being the largest news agency representing the interest of over 21 million Chinese in the Republic of Taiwan and many others around the world, CNA should have the right to observe and cover the happenings of such an important world body, as many other news agencies have.

IPI urges the United Nations Secretariat to immediately rectify its unjustified decision against the CNA correspondent and that he be able to carry out his work without impediments.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director