This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/02/philippine-president-snubs-un-secretary-general-amid-rancour-over-drug-war
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Philippine president snubs UN secretary general amid rancour over drug war | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has turned down a meeting with the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, after threatening to quit the organisation last month over criticism of his war on drugs. | The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has turned down a meeting with the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, after threatening to quit the organisation last month over criticism of his war on drugs. |
| Ban had requested the bilateral meeting in Laos, which is hosting a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders next week, but officials from Duterte’s office said he could not fit it into his schedule. | Ban had requested the bilateral meeting in Laos, which is hosting a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders next week, but officials from Duterte’s office said he could not fit it into his schedule. |
| Ban’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said: “A meeting was requested but we could not agree on a time.” | Ban’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said: “A meeting was requested but we could not agree on a time.” |
| A second UN official said the request for a meeting was rejected because of a “scheduling incompatibility”. | A second UN official said the request for a meeting was rejected because of a “scheduling incompatibility”. |
| A third UN official, who declined to be identified, said it was “basically unheard of” for a leader to be too busy to meet the secretary general. “Drug policy and human rights would have been top of the UN’s list at the meeting,” the official said. | A third UN official, who declined to be identified, said it was “basically unheard of” for a leader to be too busy to meet the secretary general. “Drug policy and human rights would have been top of the UN’s list at the meeting,” the official said. |
| Two UN human rights experts last week urged Manila to stop a wave of extra-judicial executions and killings that escalated after Duterte won the presidency on a promise to wipe out drugs, drawing an angry response from Manila. | Two UN human rights experts last week urged Manila to stop a wave of extra-judicial executions and killings that escalated after Duterte won the presidency on a promise to wipe out drugs, drawing an angry response from Manila. |
| Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella confirmed Duterte would not be meeting Ban, but declined to comment on whether that was connected to his criticism of the UN. | Philippine presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella confirmed Duterte would not be meeting Ban, but declined to comment on whether that was connected to his criticism of the UN. |
| “PRRD has his own reasons for not meeting up with some leaders,” he said, using the initials for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. “This is no reason to speculate about the Philippines’ relationship with the community of nations.” | “PRRD has his own reasons for not meeting up with some leaders,” he said, using the initials for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. “This is no reason to speculate about the Philippines’ relationship with the community of nations.” |
| Following the criticism of the surge in killings that has accompanied his anti-drugs campaign, Duterte railed against the UN in a news conference on 21 August, suggesting he might pull out and invite China and African nations to form an alternative global organisation. | Following the criticism of the surge in killings that has accompanied his anti-drugs campaign, Duterte railed against the UN in a news conference on 21 August, suggesting he might pull out and invite China and African nations to form an alternative global organisation. |
| The following day his foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said the Philippines remained committed to the UN and would not be leaving, “despite our numerous frustrations with this international agency”. | The following day his foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said the Philippines remained committed to the UN and would not be leaving, “despite our numerous frustrations with this international agency”. |
| The Philippines is due to take over the chair of Asean from Laos in 2017. | The Philippines is due to take over the chair of Asean from Laos in 2017. |