8 Sept 1999
More Timors to come
Australians write to editors about East Timor's agony, urging invasion,
cutting ties with Indonesia, or blaming the 'toothless' UN.
The UN lacks bite for three shameful reasons. None are the fault of UN
officials. They are our fault till we try to change them.
First, UN sovereign members under their Charter reserve the 'right',
overriding agreed human rights or available World Court processes, to make war
if they consider it 'defence'.
Second, the UN Charter leaves it to superpowers, now in practice just the US,
to involve the UN in war. This happens only if no superpower uses its veto.
The only other penal action allowed is a trade or communications ban which can
harm innocents more than their targeted leaders..
Third, affluent members break UN law by withholding dues for peacekeeping and
general UN revenue. These one-sided economic sanctions aim to influence UN
decisions. They force the UN to downgrade all its vital humanitarian
activities
The chief culprit is the USA. Just putting one US bomber less on order could
fund solutions for horrendous UN problems.
Australia's Prime Minister Howard rightly hesitates to send troops to aid
peacekeeping in Timor without UN approval, although we have a moral obligation
to protect our wartime allies there. Indonesia's martial law is deporting,
terrorising and massacring them to make room for mainly Javanese
transmigrants who in time may outnumber the remaining locals and so reverse
the recent vote to stay outside control of the invading Indonesians.
Our governments always adhere to the ANZUS treaty. It requires them and the US
to consult on such matters. Our nation hosts CIA bases, and welcomes US
nuclear-armed naval and air units. Our forces helped Americans in world wars,
Korea, Viet Nam and the Gulf. We help NATO cope with Yugoslav refugees. So Mr
Howard asks the US to join a Timor force led by Australia. But I think the
Congress always insists on a US-chosen leader for US troops anywhere.
UN member governments will condone betrayals of human rights in West
Irian/Papua, Aceh,
Tibet, Mexico and world wide as in Timor unless their 'vital' national
(military-industrial) interests are threatened.. They do so in every continent
for centuries. Media campaigns influence us to choose governments that
protect our compatriot investors from domestic and foreign restraints or
competition -- rather than to protect conquered peoples at home or abroad.
There has only ever been one remedy for abuse of power. Sovereign people power
demands vigilance and access to information at election times and always. No
land should have to send eager young men to put their lives on the line as my
father, uncle and brother did, and my son was nearly forced to do, for or
against warmongers.
Grass roots non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are starting to demand a
voice that may in time lead to a proportionally elected federation of all
people. The fast growing global Millennium People's Assembly Network (MPAN)
plans an annual People's Assembly alongside the superpower dominated General
Assembly. This may become a demand at next years Civil Forum hosted by Kofi
Annan. Details are free by e-mailing the one line message "subscribe passem"
to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. We can all join in.
Eventually we'll develop
* democratic world law, binding and protecting individuals in transactions
with governments;
* environmental and other courts to interpret global law, expanding the scope
of the World Court (its adverse rulings rejected by superpowers) and the
International Criminal Court;
* conflict anticipation, analysis, counselling and resolution.
We'll assemble forums, independent news services, reconciliation counsellors,
police, bailiffs, jailers, disarmament experts and others to give the global
community what democrats seek for national and local communities: law and
order to keep a just peace free of fear, want and gagging.
We'll raise ample UN revenue, perhaps including
* a 'Tobin tax': up to a dollar for each $1000 of the daily billions spent in
currency speculation; and
* license fees and resource rentals from users of global commons (outer space,
high seas, broadcast band frequencies etc.).
We have power to destroy Earth and aple know-how to save it. We imbalance them
like gambling addicts yearning for some ultimate fix like Russian roulette.
-- Doug Everingham
----------------------------------------------------------------
This is the Neither public email list, open for the public and general discussion.
To unsubscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=unsubscribe
To subscribe click here Mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Subject=subscribe
For information on [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.neither.org/lists/public-list.htm
For archives
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
