Tuesday, May 25, 2010

From Presidency to prison: A warning to all dictators in the world

Manuel Noriega (L) and Hun Xen (R)

From Presidency to prison

Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Ayaz Ahmed Pirzada
Pakistan Observer


Gen Manuel Noriega the former dictator of Panama ousted by the American military in 1989, has been refused immunity plea by a French court that as head of a country he could not be prosecuted for any criminal case. This was the second occasion a court refused to entertain plea for immunity. Earlier a US court dismissed this request in 1998 when he was hustled into USA after his capture in Panama. A Miami Judge gave him 20 years prison for money laundering and drug trafficking. Known as inmate number 38699-079 Noriega completed his jail term in the US on September 9, 2007 but was not released as the French government had asked the US authorities for his extradition to Paris to face criminal charges. Gen Noriega 73 was extradited to France on April 28,2010 where a French Judge refusing immunity found him guilty of money laundering and handed down a jail term of 10 years.

If no other cases are brought against him which is unlikely, he would be released at the of 83. Once a charismatic personality and happy go lucky type Noriega looked frail but at 73 he still inspires enough anxiety for government of Panama and still has some followers who love him. But in Panama, he faces legal problems as he was convicted in absentia of embezzlement and corruption, and for ordering the killing of political opponents. Although he faces up to 60 years in prison for those charges, Panamanian law allows older convicts to serve prison time at home. There is a long list of heads of state who were refused immunity, arrested, tried and in some cases punished for the crimes they committed. On October 16, 1998, London police arrested Chilean dictator Gen Augusto Pinochet. They were acting on a Spanish warrant charging the former dictator with human rights crimes committed in Chile during his seventeen-year rule. The British courts rejected Pinochle’s claim that he was entitled to immunity and ruled that he could be extradited to Spain to stand trial. Only his deteriorating mental capacity revealed in medical report, saved him from prosecution He was released in March 2000 and he returned home to Chile. In March 2002 the Court of Appeals of Brussels ordered Scheduling of hearing to assess the relevance of the ICJ decision in the case of Ariel Sharon the then Prime Minister of Israel accused of slaughtering hundreds of refugees at Sabra and Shatila in Beirut.

Milosevic, ‘Butcher of the Balkans’ was tried by an International Criminal Tribunal for corruption, mass murders and crime against humanity .The trial after Miloševiæ’s death under suspicious circumstances. After the arrest and trial of Milosevic, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was arrested, tried and hanged in 2007.Liberian President Charles Taylor also sits in the dock in The Hague. Chad’s exiled former president, Hissène Habré, is to stand trial at a special court in Senegal while another corrupt and murderer of thousands of people, Khieu Samphan, the former president of the Khmer Rouge, is facing a U.N.-sponsored court in Cambodia for his part in “the killing fields” - the slaughter of his own people - nearly 30 years ago. Most recently, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued warrants for arrest of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for allegations of genocide. The Sudanese president became the first sitting head of state on March 4,2009 to be charged with war crimes by the international criminal court in The Hague. Radovan Karadzic was arraigned thirteen years after the Srebrenica genocide, when Bosnian Serb forces rounded up more than 7,500 Muslim men and boys and slaughtered them in cold blood.

Of all these leaders who were indicted, tried and punished for their crimes Noriega is the only leader whose ordeal does not seem to be anywhere near the end . Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno a career soldier was the de facto leader and military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989. His biggest blunder perhaps was to join the recruits of the CIA He was initially a strong ally of the United States and according to statements made by former CIA Director Admiral Stan Field Turner in 1988; Noriega became a CIA “asset” in the early 1970s. Former President George. H. W .Bush during his tenure as Director of the CIA, had personally arranged annual payments to Noriega of $110,000. Noriega enhanced his position as de facto ruler in August 1983 by promoting himself to General .He was convinced that being a strongest man in Panama he would prolong his authority by becoming a CIA source and an ally to the U.S. Despite the canal treaties, he allowed the U.S. to set up listening posts in Panama, and acted as a diplomatic go-between with Cuban President Fidel Castro.

He aided the pro-American forces in El Salvador and Nicaragua by acting as a conduit for American money and weapons. However, Noriega insists that his policy during this period was essentially neutral, allowing the warring parties on both sides of the various conflicts free movement in Panama as long as they did not attempt to use Panama as a base of military operations. He rebuffed requests by Salvadorean rightist Roberto D’Aubuisson to restrict the movements of Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (leftist Salvadorian insurgent) leaders in Panama, and likewise rebuffed demands by American Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North that he provide military assistance to the Nicaraguan Contras. Noriega insists that his refusal to meet North’s demands was the actual basis for the U.S. campaign to oust him. Noriega was accused of amassing huge illegal money and used the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) as a means to launder his wealth ($20 million). His personal banker, Amjad Awan, a Pakistani senior manager at BCCI handled Noriega’s accounts. He was convicted of money laundering after a lengthy trial in Tampa, Fla.

Holding individuals accountable for involvement in international wrongdoings, corruption, and heinous crimes is a modern concept which has legitimately taken root during the last five decades. A case against Ariel Sharon in a European court illustrates substantive shifts in international customary law regarding questions of jurisdiction and immunity. With every passing year, the dominoes of impunity keep falling, first Europe, then the Middle East, then Africa. And they continue to fall every where. These days the world lawyers community is asking the question when another president will ever be charged for wrong doings, looting the resources of his nation and punished accordingly. A growing number of Pakistanis are voicing for making President Zardari as the next head of state to face accountability, at home or abroad. Their demand is based on the Supreme Court verdict directing the government to send a fresh request to the Swiss authorities to reopen cases of money laundering, kick backs, illegal income etc. But so far the decision is being frustrated by the government‘s defiance, showing scant respect for the judiciary.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

អ្នកប្រើអំណាចផ្ដាច់ការ ហ៊ុន សែន នៃកម្ពុជា !

តើអ្នកណា ជាអ្នកអវសាន រដ្ឋាភិបាលអាយ៉ង ហ៊ុន សែន ...???

បើមិនដូច្នោះទេ ប្រទេសខ្មែរ នឹងក្លាយជាយួនកន្ទប
ឱប កន្ទិន គ្មានថ្ងៃត្រឡប់​វិញ​ឡើយ! ខ្មែរជំនាន់ក្រោយរងចាំតែធ្វើខ្ញុំបំរីយួននៅលើទឹកដី
ជីដូនជីតាខ្លួនឯងអស់មួយជីវិតទៅ!!

ពេលនោះយួននឹងធ្វើទារុណ្ឌកម្មលើរូបកាយ វេទនា
ជាងខ្មែរក្រោមទៅទៀត hehehe...

Anonymous said...

They are Qu'un Chhlorb of Ho chiMinh,

Anonymous said...

It won't happen to Dr. Hun Sen. Remember... Hun Sen is the youngest Prime Minister of Cambodia at the age of 33 years old that mean he is the smart of the smart!

Anonymous said...

Dr. Hun is the next on the U.S black list. Sadam Hussien gone and Sadam Hunsen is next.

Anonymous said...

If he ousted by election he will be jailed at age 73. If he ousted by People Power, i hope not, he will be hung. Mark my word folk.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen permits the US to operate a CIA listening post out of the embassy. In return the US turn a blind eye on Hun Sen's criminal activities in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen would not be worried. The CPP is rich to last them for many years to come, the CPP also control the military, resources and hierarchy down to the village level. Any attempt to up root the CPP they will know immediately, thanks to the international communities who allow them to florist under their noses, If hun Sen is convicted or accused of being a dictatorship then the international communities will also bare the responsibilities, so will Hun Sen be removed? Nopt not in this life time byt the time something happened Hun Sen would have been past due.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen is a permanent senator in the International Parliament along with other heads of states and corrupted politicians located in the birthpace of organised criminals.

Anonymous said...

Time for Hun Sen, is getting closer now. Ah Hun Sen all of your clans'll dooms in the near future.

Anonymous said...

Now, now all Hun Sen bashers

He is not the dictator as Sadam, Noriega, nor anyone else on this article.

Though many would love to see him go for whatever reason, but you have to admit the PM does have a level of good judgment, at times fair. Credit is earned where it is due!

If he ever turn as bad as any of these guys on the list, then I'd agree he will have justice met out to him at some point in time. As the saying goes, "Every dog has its day."

So for now you cannot put Hun Sen on same level as mass murderer Sadam, drug king pin Noreiga of Panama, and others.

Sorry I don't agree...

Anonymous said...

It is long over due , this one eye hyena is running our country to the bring of desperate no word can describe this monster. He need to be taken out asap to shame for Cambodia who are infame with only corruption, drug trafficking, illegal human trafficking, illegal logging, land grabbing and the list go on, too shame on Cambodia every where when we hear the bad news on (abc) world news in global witness report and the list go on and on shame on all of us Cambodian every where for what this peasant man call himself samdac motherfucker Hun Sen, shame shame,shame,shame.

Anonymous said...

Don't blame HunSen for his dictatorship. If anyone's to blame, it's the naive majority in favor of receiving charitable gifts. Grow up, Cambodian.

Anonymous said...

Don't even think about it. Hun Sen will live long and prosper for generations to come. He is not only holding to power until old age, chances are one of his sons will become senior minister and eventually prime minister after him. People will build his status and worship him as their greatest leader for generation to come.

Anonymous said...

Sadam Hussein and Noriega were allies of Americans, they fought with USA against others and at the end, Sadam was killed by Americans, Noriega was jailed by Americans and sent by Americans to be jailed in French.
Hun Sen was against American, is not with American and will not be friend with American, Hun Sen said.

vichea chan said...

one of these men already imprison by the justic, eventually other one (HUN SEN) will end up be in the same life shelter Pray Sor prison. Hun Sen Im sure u can't read English but your children do, i hope u and your relative will figure it out this quote " There are three thing never been hidden the MOON the SUN and the TRUTH"

Anonymous said...

4:06PM, 6:51PM,11:29PM, How would you figure that he is doing good? Him and his party are all wearing a disguise to scam the international community. The most corrupted starts at the top head of the snake and the body (party)follows. For this is a man who is a permanent life time senator in the "International Parliament" aligned with other heads of states such as Hugo Chaves, and other corrupted politicians from Cuba, African Nations, and other South American Nations, Etc.

Anonymous said...

1:33AM! are you sure Hun Xen children can read English?

Anonymous said...

i know, i think the whole world should unite to rid of the dictator any where in the world, really! dictatorship is no more than taking advantage and suppressing its citizens' rights, freedom, etc... no one should tolerate it, period. take stupid pol pot's KR, for example. look what happened to cambodia when he was in control of cambodia. let that be an example or lesson for all to avoid, really!

Anonymous said...

did you know that dictator is the same meaning as absolute power! it's like clinging on to power by using force, etc...! not a good idea in this modern, changing world of the 21st century, really!

Anonymous said...

Why is Hun Sen considered a good dictator if he only have balls to lash out at the thai for their border issue, then him and youn Hor Namhong's cronies stays quiet about vietnamese border issues? Why don't he lash out at the vietnamese for encroaching Cambodis's land? he's a big fat pussy when it comes to facing the youn on this issue!! that's why.

Anonymous said...

Do all you guys realy want Cambodia to be in chaos like Thailand ?????

Who do you have any one in mind to take his place ?????

Sam Rainsy ???? The guy who is running the party to the ground ???

You have to have a creditable person in mind to replace him, otherwise every body are walking on the street think he/she can run the country.

Don't forget that, Lon Nol think that he can run the country, the KR also think they could too, but you already know what was happened.

Put some names on the board !!!!!
You can't just keep whining and don't provide alternative solution.

Anonymous said...

There's plenty of Highly educated people in the US, Canada, Europe, and elsewhere who are qualified to lead the country for the people efficiently and patriotically without working for the interest of the neighboring countries.

Anonymous said...

Democratic Kampuchea Pol Pot Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Pol Pot
Nuon Chea
Ieng Sary
Ta Mok
Khieu Samphan
Son Sen
Ieng Thearith
Kaing Kek Iev
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Tortures
Brutality
Executions
Massacres
Mass Murder
Genocide
Atrocities
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Slavery
Force Labour
Overwork to Death
Human Abuses
Persecution
Unlawful Detention


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime

Members:
Hun Sen
Chea Sim
Heng Samrin
Hor Namhong
Keat Chhon
Ouk Bunchhoeun
Sim Ka...

Committed:
Attempted Murders
Attempted Murder on Chea Vichea
Attempted Assassinations
Attempted Assassination on Sam Rainsy
Assassinations
Assassinated Journalists
Assassinated Political Opponents
Assassinated Leaders of the Free Trade Union
Assassinated over 80 members of Sam Rainsy Party.

"But as of today, over eighty members of my party have been assassinated. Countless others have been injured, arrested, jailed, or forced to go into hiding or into exile."
Sam Rainsy LIC 31 October 2009 - Cairo, Egypt
  
Executions
Executed over 100 members of FUNCINPEC Party
Murders
Murdered 3 Leaders of the Free Trade Union 
Murdered Chea Vichea
Murdered Ros Sovannareth
Murdered Hy Vuthy
Murdered Journalists
Murdered Khim Sambo
Murdered Khim Sambo's son 
Murdered members of Sam Rainsy Party.
Murdered activists of Sam Rainsy Party
Murdered Innocent Men
Murdered Innocent Women
Murdered Innocent Children
Killed Innocent Khmer Peoples.
Extrajudicial Execution
Grenade Attack
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Brutalities
Police Brutality Against Monks
Police Brutality Against Evictees
Tortures
Intimidations
Death Threats
Threatening
Human Abductions
Human Abuses
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Corruptions
Bribery
Embezzlement
Treason
Border Encroachment, allow Vietnam to encroaching into Cambodia.
Signed away our territories to Vietnam; Koh Tral, almost half of our ocean territory oil field and others.  
Illegal Arrest
Illegal Mass Evictions
Illegal Land Grabbing
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Illegal Deforestation

Illegally use of remote detonation bomb on Sokha Helicopter, while Hok Lundy and other military officials were on board.

Lightning strike many airplanes, but did not fall from the sky.  Lightning strike out side of airplane and discharge electricity to ground. 
Source:  Lightning, Discovery Channel

Illegally Sold State Properties
Illegally Removed Parliamentary Immunity of Parliament Members
Plunder National Resources
Acid Attacks
Turn Cambodia into a Lawless Country.
Oppression
Injustice
Steal Votes
Bring Foreigners from Veitnam to vote in Cambodia for Cambodian People's Party.
Use Dead people's names to vote for Cambodian People's Party.
Disqualified potential Sam Rainsy Party's voters. 
Abuse the Court as a tools for CPP to send political opponents and journalists to jail.
Abuse of Power
Abuse the Laws
Abuse the National Election Committee
Abuse the National Assembly
Violate the Laws
Violate the Constitution
Violate the Paris Accords
Impunity
Persecution
Unlawful Detention
Death in custody.

Under the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Khmer Rouge Regime, no criminals that has been committed crimes against journalists, political opponents, leaders of the Free Trade Union, innocent men, women and children have ever been brought to justice. 

Anonymous said...

5:53AM, All I'm saying is Hun Sen needs to lash out at the youn vietnamese the same way he bashes ah choi mai thai regarding the border issues. Instead of staying quiet like a terrified dog frightened by his master. Then you can say Hun Sen is patriotic.

Anonymous said...

As you know, education alone is not enough. You need some one who can lead the hole country and sacrify for the country.

The current leader in Thailand are educated, the past Cambodia leaders were all educated.

Most educated people also think that it is not worth it, because they know that it is hard. If they are having a good life already why be bothered (you call it sacrify).