http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-02/edit-page/29493550_1_liberation-war-war-crimes-war-criminals
<http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-02/edit-page/29493550_1_liberation-war-war-crimes-war-criminals> 'The US supported Pakistan indirectly' Aditi Bhaduri, May 2, 2011, 12.00am IST [Shahriyar Kabir is the convener of the Ekattorer Ghatak o Dalal Nirmul Committee (Committee for the Elimination of the Killers and Collaborators of 1971) and a leading Bangladeshi campaigner against religious fundamentalism. He speaks to Aditi Bhaduri.] You have been campaigning since the 1990s for a war crimes tribunal. Sheikh Hasina <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Sheikh-Hasina> has set up one now. How is the work proceeding? Our government set up the tribunal in March 2010 and it's in process. Government-appointed lawyers are looking into it. What is unique about this tribunal is that while there are many international laws regarding war crimes tribunals, Bangladesh<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Bangladesh> is the first country to set up a domestic law for genocide and war crimes. But we lack experience and there are internal and external challenges too. Internally it is the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Externally Pakistan<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan> and the US are not sitting idle. Is there US pressure against the tribunal? Not directly. The US said the trial is an internal matter. Since the US considers Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami a moderate Islamic party and a partner of their "war on terror" they would like to protect their ally. Recently, US ambassador at large for war crimes Stephen Rapp<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Stephen-Rapp> said the US wouldn't object if a few war criminals are tried but they're against the trial of any organisation. My impression is that the US supported Pakistan during Bangladesh's liberation war and was indirectly responsible for genocide and war crimes perpetrated by the Pakistani army. If there is a free and fair trial of the war crimes the supporters' names will be mentioned accordingly. And that may embarrass the US. How optimistic are you about the tribunal? In 1971, we had far greater challenges yet won. Now the government has to be decisive. There are people who would like to drag it into the next election in order to cash in on it. But that strategy may not succeed as people voted for the grand alliance currently ruling the country for this very reason. If they don't deliver then people may not vote for them again. Why is there a need to campaign against religious fundamentalism in Bangladesh? We created Bangladesh in 1971 to be a secular democracy. But after Mujib's death pro-Pakistanis grabbed power and they removed secularism from the Constitution. Finally, General Ershad introduced Islam as the state religion and that was the beginning of the Islamisation and Pakistanisation of Bangladesh. But we have a vibrant civil society that led democratic movements even before the war. Since the Islamisation of Bangladesh, civil society began a campaign for secularisation and democracy. The first step was inserting the word 'secularism' into the Constitution again. Your recent book finds Indian epics to be a source for war crime trials? My book, War, War Crimes & Trial of War Criminals in the Atlas of Civilisation, deals with scholars ignoring India's history of the laws of war. They're the earliest source of modern international laws and conventions. I try to prove that civility in those days was much more advanced and humane in comparison with contemporary civilisation. For instance, Arjun had weapons of mass destruction but he refused to use them. Compare this to the use of nuclear bombs by the US. Similarly, before the battle of Kurukshetra, the Kauravas and Pandavas drafted a detailed code of conduct, including that the war will commence after sunrise and end at sunset each day. This was almost 5,000 years ago. Compare this to when the US and its allies bombed Iraq<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Iraq> at night. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
