Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Nations. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Rally for the Paris Peace Agreements (PPA) in front of the UN in New York City
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Rally at:
the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, New York
to condemn Vietnam and Thailand who have violated the Paris Peace Agreement on Cambodia on 23rd October 1991 (PPA of 1991) on:
22 October 2010 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
at:
East 47th Street and 1st – 2nd Avenue.
Washington, DC – Monday, October 18, 2010: We are, the Cambodians, and Cambodian-Americans, and Friends from Virginia, Maryland, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and other places are proudly hosting the Rally in front of the Headquarters, United Nations to condemn Vietnam and Thailand on the 19th Anniversary of the PPA of 1991, the Agreement Concerning the Sovereignty, Independence, Territorial Integrity and Inviolability, Neutrality and National Unity of Cambodia on Articles II & IV that both countries have signed. In addition, we are appealing to all Signatory Countries and United Nations to reconvene and reinforce the PPA of 1991, and as well as to all our beloved Cambodians, Cambodian-Americans, and Friends around the world to take no nonsense answers from the violators (Individuals, and Nations), and tell them to abide by the PPA of 1991.
Vietnam has breached the PPA of 1991 on Articles II and IV by:
- Interfering in Cambodia’s internal political affair and stability.
- Annexing our borders and border encroachments that forced the Opposition Leader to self-exile and Hun Sen’s Government has imprisoned some innocence Farmers.
- Illegal treaties between Vietnam and Cambodia (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, and Supplemental Treaty of 2005). These treaties are violated the spirit of the PPA of 1991 and Cambodia National Sovereignty, Independent, prosperity, and Peace.
- Engulfing of illegal Vietnamese Immigrants into Cambodia.
Thailand has breached the PPA of 1991 on Articles II and IV and International Court of Justice by:
- Illegally invading the vicinity of Preah Vihear Temple of Cambodia, which violated the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on 15 June 1962 on Preah Vihear, Cambodia.
- Violating the PPA of 1991 on Articles II and IV.
Cambodia:
- Cambodia Government has failed to exercise its rights under the PPA of 1991.
- Cambodia Government under the leaderships of Mr. Hun Sen, King Sihanouk, King Sihamoni, and National Assembly’s members have failed to fulfill their Constitutional duties and responsibilities.
For further information, please contact the Rally Organizer, Mr. Michael Duong (202) 280-7223 or E-Mail jeyvarman@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Khmer Rouge Trial and the Ghost of Nuremberg
November 20, 2007
By Tracy Dove, Ph.D
Editor, The Russia News Service
Posted at U.S. Politics Today
By Tracy Dove, Ph.D
Editor, The Russia News Service
Posted at U.S. Politics Today
After much backpedaling and horrific delay, the butchers of Cambodia will finally stand trial for some of the worst crimes committed against humanity in the last quarter of the 20th century. The process is underwritten by the slow wheels of justice within the United Nations and has the oblivious support of world leaders who probably couldn't find Cambodia on a map of Indochina if they tried. At an international level this announcement is a current affairs anticlimax, because once the story has its run of the headlines the musings of the court will certainly disappear from the common vernacular, only to be recorded in obscure websites maintained by the victims of the Khmer Rouge's torture wheel. This trial- as well as the 3-year yawn of a process against Slobodan Milosevic preceding it- is an unfortunate letdown for anyone who would expect a rapid conclusion in the spirit of Nuremberg, when Nazi war criminals were tried and executed with high international approval ratings and military expedience.
Unfortunately for victims of genocide- past present and future- we will never see a rally of justice like we did in Germany after World War II. The reason is simple: the Nuremberg Process was not conducted by the sleepy United Nations but by four allied powers that set up a military court of justice quickly and promised timely judgements against the Nazi defendants. Within the span of 1 year convictions were handed down against 24 of the major Nazi war criminals, and those who weren't able to commit suicide before hand had their death sentences carried out quickly. Since then only Saddam Hussein's process was conducted as quickly, although the German criminals never would have dreamt of cursing and intimidating their judges the way Saddam did.
While the Nuremberg Process appears to have been a stark deliverance of justice, the fate of those officers could have been worse had the cults of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin not been curtailed by realities as they were at the end of the war. The greatest indignation at the Nazi war crimes was first felt by the British in 1940, when Winston Churchill advocated the use of a firing squad without the interference of a trial. Roosevelt later convinced him that this was a bad idea, and Churchill eventually backed down. The American President didn't need to remind the British Prime Minister that conviction without due process of law was one of the main reasons why colonial America fought their war of independence against Britain, and this might not be the best allied policy- especially for American domestic consumption.
But Roosevelt was no angel either; his ear was temporarily bent by the sinister plans of the US Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., who suggested that the denazification of Germany be followed by the complete destruction of the industrial economy and the introduction of a mild form of slave labor there. Until 1944, Churchill was happily riding on this vindictive bandwagon, until, surprisingly, it was Stalin who sobered things up when he suggested that there be an international judicial process against the Nazi forces.
While this might sound strangely humane, emanating as it did from behind the General Secretary's moustache, the process that he envisioned would have resulted in the mass indictment of 50,000 individuals- including officers and simple soldiers. Churchill had trouble with this, arguing that many of those men simply fought in the name of their country and should not be subject to such harsh judgement. After all, they were simply following orders- which, as we have heard in lesser courtrooms- is the standard defense of the scoundrels who commit such crimes in the first place, and the Cambodian defendants will certainly try and blame their conduct on their deceased leader, Pol Pot.
Nuremberg was effective because it was a military tribunal. These tend to be ugly, brutish and short- but very effective. The example set in Germany in 1946 was the example by which the United Nations would pen some important documents that have since then gotten excellent lip service but little action.
One of these would have been the creation of an International Criminal Court, but this is unpopular in certain geographies. Not less than 3 members of the Security Council are against it, since such an institution could have unpleasant consequences for their leaders. Despite hesitation to take this step, the world has at least created an International Convention on Genocide (1948), the Declaration of Human Rights (also 1948), the Geneva Convention (1949 and 1977 supplements) and the Abolition on the Statue of Limitations for War Crimes (1968).
The criminal proceedings in Cambodia have a ghost of Nuremberg in them, although this is no military tribunal but a United Nations effort at bringing the perpetrators of genocide to justice. As to whether anyone will be prosecuted or even serve a sentence is left to be seen. Unlike Nazi Germany, the Khmer Rouge had its friends in Cold War politics, and in this case, the world is not interested in anymore ghost stories.
Tracy Dove, editor of The Russia News Service, is a Professor of History and the Department Chair of International Relations at the University of New York in Prague.
Unfortunately for victims of genocide- past present and future- we will never see a rally of justice like we did in Germany after World War II. The reason is simple: the Nuremberg Process was not conducted by the sleepy United Nations but by four allied powers that set up a military court of justice quickly and promised timely judgements against the Nazi defendants. Within the span of 1 year convictions were handed down against 24 of the major Nazi war criminals, and those who weren't able to commit suicide before hand had their death sentences carried out quickly. Since then only Saddam Hussein's process was conducted as quickly, although the German criminals never would have dreamt of cursing and intimidating their judges the way Saddam did.
While the Nuremberg Process appears to have been a stark deliverance of justice, the fate of those officers could have been worse had the cults of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin not been curtailed by realities as they were at the end of the war. The greatest indignation at the Nazi war crimes was first felt by the British in 1940, when Winston Churchill advocated the use of a firing squad without the interference of a trial. Roosevelt later convinced him that this was a bad idea, and Churchill eventually backed down. The American President didn't need to remind the British Prime Minister that conviction without due process of law was one of the main reasons why colonial America fought their war of independence against Britain, and this might not be the best allied policy- especially for American domestic consumption.
But Roosevelt was no angel either; his ear was temporarily bent by the sinister plans of the US Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., who suggested that the denazification of Germany be followed by the complete destruction of the industrial economy and the introduction of a mild form of slave labor there. Until 1944, Churchill was happily riding on this vindictive bandwagon, until, surprisingly, it was Stalin who sobered things up when he suggested that there be an international judicial process against the Nazi forces.
While this might sound strangely humane, emanating as it did from behind the General Secretary's moustache, the process that he envisioned would have resulted in the mass indictment of 50,000 individuals- including officers and simple soldiers. Churchill had trouble with this, arguing that many of those men simply fought in the name of their country and should not be subject to such harsh judgement. After all, they were simply following orders- which, as we have heard in lesser courtrooms- is the standard defense of the scoundrels who commit such crimes in the first place, and the Cambodian defendants will certainly try and blame their conduct on their deceased leader, Pol Pot.
Nuremberg was effective because it was a military tribunal. These tend to be ugly, brutish and short- but very effective. The example set in Germany in 1946 was the example by which the United Nations would pen some important documents that have since then gotten excellent lip service but little action.
One of these would have been the creation of an International Criminal Court, but this is unpopular in certain geographies. Not less than 3 members of the Security Council are against it, since such an institution could have unpleasant consequences for their leaders. Despite hesitation to take this step, the world has at least created an International Convention on Genocide (1948), the Declaration of Human Rights (also 1948), the Geneva Convention (1949 and 1977 supplements) and the Abolition on the Statue of Limitations for War Crimes (1968).
The criminal proceedings in Cambodia have a ghost of Nuremberg in them, although this is no military tribunal but a United Nations effort at bringing the perpetrators of genocide to justice. As to whether anyone will be prosecuted or even serve a sentence is left to be seen. Unlike Nazi Germany, the Khmer Rouge had its friends in Cold War politics, and in this case, the world is not interested in anymore ghost stories.
Tracy Dove, editor of The Russia News Service, is a Professor of History and the Department Chair of International Relations at the University of New York in Prague.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Khmer Krom leader on a quest for foreign support
13 August 2007By Mayarith
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
The leader of the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation (KKF), who is now on visit in Australia, is on a 21-day mission to seek for support from three main countries who could influence with their intervention into the problems faced by Khmer Krom people currently living in Vietnam.
The 21-day mission led Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President, to Australia, following a visit to Canada and the USA. Up until this Monday, Thach Ngoc Thach has completed 13-day of traveling.
Thach Ngoc Thach’s quest for help from officials in the three countries started after Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by force and later sent to jail, the monk was accused of involvement with the KKF.
On Sunday, from Australia, Thach Ngoc Thach said that he expect to obtain positive results from his trips, following the meetings he had with government officials and parliamentarians in the 3 countries be visited.
Thach Ngoc Thach said: “The demand made by Khmer Krom people for the rights to freedom in Kampuchea Krom, for all the losses sustained by Khmer Krom people, I believe that we will obtain positive results. We can see that in Asia, the demands are not coming from just the Khmer Krom people only, other ethnic groups, such as the Montagnards, are also protesting, (there is also the group) in Tibet, in Taiwan, some demands for outright independence, others demand for their autonomy, while others are demanding to decide on their own destiny by themselves. Therefore, I can see that this is a struggle movement which is not undertaken by Khmer Krom people alone, but several other ethnic groups are also making this demand. Therefore, I do not believe that Australia, the US, the UN will ignore the numerous struggle movements around the world. I believe that if our Khmer Krom people are preparing ourselves and get ready to undertake the struggle movement with other ethnic groups around the world, we will also obtain positive results, just like other people also.”
Thach Ngoc Thach declared that there will be additional Khmer Krom demonstrations in Canada, Australia, and the USA, in order to put pressure on Vietnam to stop its violations on the rights of Khmer Krom people living in Vietnam.
The recent announcement of the arrest of Monk Tim Sakhorn by the Vietnamese authority caused a lot of anger among Khmer Krom people.
Former Monk Tim Sakhorn is currently jailed in Vietnam and he is also accused of committing a political crime for his involvement with the KKF in order to legally liberate Kampuchea Krom (from the yoke of Vietnam).
The 21-day mission led Thach Ngoc Thach, KKF President, to Australia, following a visit to Canada and the USA. Up until this Monday, Thach Ngoc Thach has completed 13-day of traveling.
Thach Ngoc Thach’s quest for help from officials in the three countries started after Khmer Krom Monk Tim Sakhorn was defrocked by force and later sent to jail, the monk was accused of involvement with the KKF.
On Sunday, from Australia, Thach Ngoc Thach said that he expect to obtain positive results from his trips, following the meetings he had with government officials and parliamentarians in the 3 countries be visited.
Thach Ngoc Thach said: “The demand made by Khmer Krom people for the rights to freedom in Kampuchea Krom, for all the losses sustained by Khmer Krom people, I believe that we will obtain positive results. We can see that in Asia, the demands are not coming from just the Khmer Krom people only, other ethnic groups, such as the Montagnards, are also protesting, (there is also the group) in Tibet, in Taiwan, some demands for outright independence, others demand for their autonomy, while others are demanding to decide on their own destiny by themselves. Therefore, I can see that this is a struggle movement which is not undertaken by Khmer Krom people alone, but several other ethnic groups are also making this demand. Therefore, I do not believe that Australia, the US, the UN will ignore the numerous struggle movements around the world. I believe that if our Khmer Krom people are preparing ourselves and get ready to undertake the struggle movement with other ethnic groups around the world, we will also obtain positive results, just like other people also.”
Thach Ngoc Thach declared that there will be additional Khmer Krom demonstrations in Canada, Australia, and the USA, in order to put pressure on Vietnam to stop its violations on the rights of Khmer Krom people living in Vietnam.
The recent announcement of the arrest of Monk Tim Sakhorn by the Vietnamese authority caused a lot of anger among Khmer Krom people.
Former Monk Tim Sakhorn is currently jailed in Vietnam and he is also accused of committing a political crime for his involvement with the KKF in order to legally liberate Kampuchea Krom (from the yoke of Vietnam).
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