Fundamental Principles Versus Political Expediencies

The Bad Examples Of The Commonwealth

By 

Paul I. Adujie

Lawcareer@msn.com

New York, United States

 

Honorable Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the erstwhile Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, was right, when he criticized the readmission of Pakistan into the commonwealth, from suspension; He rightly condemned the readmission, because, it is wrong, as it is occurring, even though, nothing has substantially changed in Pakistan, except for the fact that Mr. Musharaf, the military usurper of political power in Pakistan, has pleased America, Britain and Australia immensely, in the tripartite crusade and culture wars in Afghanistan and beyond; According to the former Secretary General of the organization, “a tragic blow to the hard earned credibility of the body as a force for promoting its fundamental principle of democracy.”

 

 

Whatever happened to the core principles and ideals of democracy, freedom, and human rights etc, which informed the suspension of Pakistan in the first place? Pakistan and Musharaf are not more democratic and freer than when the suspension was slammed on Pakistan, which was solely due to Mr. Musharaf’s undemocratic shenanigans, and illegality of overthrowing a constitutionally elected and installed government, but, all that seemingly changed, as far as America, Britain and Australia’s McKinnon are concerned, so long as Musharaf remains their lap-dog, regarding the crusaders’ wars, he is a fine gentleman and democrat?

 

When political expediencies are super-imposed on, what ought to be core principles and great ideals of democracy and freedom, it is quite troubling, for libertarians and democrats everywhere; Musharaf has been rewarded for being a  “good-boy” and this is precisely the problem! Western democracies, in their indulgent double standards and inconsistencies of policies, send the wrong message, to all-the world! They pay lips service to the full tenets of democracy and freedom, to peoples of the developing. Mr. Musharaf is has been acting and continues to act, clearly in complete disregard, to the wishes of Pakistanis!

 

This is why the international community, through the United Nations, would agree to establish international agencies, treaties and conventions, such as the International Criminal Court, to try war crimes etc, but America removes itself, and say, its citizens will not obey international laws, and its citizens would not be subject to these laws and cannot be brought for trials before the International Criminal Court, this is also why, there is an international treaty to eliminate Landmines, but America is a major producer and proliferate user of landmines, and the only country that would refuse to implement the ban on mines production and use of landmines.

 

This is equally why, Global Warming, responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer, was tackled by the international community through a treaty, and again, America would not hear of such treaty or the efforts it has generated, as America continues to refuse ratifications of these international laws and treaties; Recently, the international community, in efforts to stamp out corruption, and achieve transparency in global business transactions, set rules, that requires open and accountable practices in oil and petroleum business, including trans-continental auditing of such transactions of figures of business transactions, but, again, America is opposed to it and lobbied to see the non-implementations of these rules, the same have happened in matters of Free Trade, through the World Trade Organization, but we all familiar, with American observance of these rules, only in breach, as America has been dragged to WTO court several times, regarding US discriminatory rules on Steel and Agriculture.

 

On the surface, to the undiscerning observer, the Americans are usually, the loudest advocates and apostles of wonderful rules and conventions, except that obeying such rules and conventions, is another matter altogether! Abu Gharib Prison tortures and abuses is one such exemplifier, the Americans have been loudest in proclaiming punishments for those responsible for the genocide that occurred ten years ago, between Tutsi and Hutus, and punishment for Charles Taylor for the civil wars and resulting brutalities and deaths in Liberia and Sierra Leone, War Crime Tribunal demands and all, but when are the American officials themselves, facing the War Crime Tribunal?  

These tortures, abuses and war crimes occurred, because, the American government, stated from the onset, that prisoners of war (POWs) in Guantannamo Bay, Afghanistan and Iraq, were unlawful combatants, and would not benefit from the Geneva Conventions on POWs, America was saying to its soldiers, the law would not be obeyed, as the prisoners are less than humans? Or that POWs taken by Americans are outside the purviews and rubrics of laws?

 

Would it not be nice, if the poor and the rich are both and al amenable to the rule of law and due process? Would it not be nice, if there were one set of laws and rules, treaties, conventions etc for all-the world? And no one is above the law, even America? Would it not be nice, to avoid the hypocrisies in having one sets of laws for the rich, and another set for the poor? Would the world not be a better place, if these “consistently permanent” double standards not practiced by the powerful? Would it not be nice?

 

These selective enforcements, discriminatory applications of the laws and rules, helps to entrench injustices and all the perversities that we see in the world, there is no certainty of punishments or rewards, but instead, there are these double standards and hypocrisies, as America favors itself and its friends, mostly the dictators of the world, usually with something to offer, oil, or strategic resources-locations, and they do not have to comply with laws, rules, treaties and conventions! And so, Human Rights abuses remains, regardless of what the UN and the rest of the world wants, and corruption endures because of the protection of it, by those who benefit, from it, and injustices, oppression and perversities remain, despite all proclamations!

 

 

It will be recalled that the stated pretensions for the American invasion and occupation of Iraq, were the ideals of democracy and freedom for Iraq, hence operation Iraqi freedom, but on Friday May 28, 2004, we learn, that an abridged or adulterated democracy will be given to the Iraqis through an American puppet of Iraqi origin, as Prime Minister, Mr. Alawi is a long time Central Intelligence Agency operative, CIA, acting for American interests, he was chosen by the Americans and endorsed by the equally puppetry “Coalition Governing Council” members, and this, without real sovereignty for Iraq, the Iraqis are not sophisticated enough for Western-style democracy, we pointedly told! Democracy, for Iraq, must be defined by the Americans, the only ones, who posses infinite wisdom? Is it not better to let Iraqis govern themselves imperfectly, in democracy, instead, of these impositions? Perfect impositions!

 

These short term pyrrhic sows avalanche of negative intended foreseeable and unintended unforeseeable consequences and ramifications, in the long run, hence the cycle of injustices that we witness in the world, all because, some rather have, what is expedient for them, while damning the after-effects, for the rest of the world.

 

Clearly, western democracies make certain, that we notice, their embrace of tyrants and dictators, so long as, such tyrants and dictators oblige America, Britain and Australia, with whatever they demand, especially, even when such demands are inconsistent with the desires and aspirations of a given local population, say, in this example, the local population in Pakistan.

 

In my opinion, the war crimes of torture and abuse, arose from the complete negation, by the Americans, of international law, Geneva Conventions, a complete disregard for Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the willingness to devalue Iraqi lives, and the idea that world public opinion, including American public opinion, does not matter, the soldiers who committed these war crimes, did so, devoid of any decency and humanity, but the higher-ups, set the tone of disregards for laws, rules and conventions.

 

We are familiar with the axiom, to the effect that, in diplomacy and international relations, there are no permanent friends or enemies, but permanent interests, but how about the principle? Why would these same countries loudly proclaim democracy and freedom, and castigate President Mugabe of Zimbabwe for allegedly lacking in these norms, while they embrace a military Musharaf, with all his nuclear weapons, that the world is supposed to be unhappy about? I suppose it is safe now, to conclude that Musharaf has better democratic credentials compared to Mugabe?  What sane person would believe that?

 

The Guardian Newspapers reported that, “five years after the Pakistan's suspension, the Commonwealth Secretary General Don Mckinnon on Saturday announced its re-admittance at a news conference in London” And that the nine-member, comprising India, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Tanzania, Lesotho, Canada, Bahamas, Malta and Samoa “welcomed steps taken by Pakistan, but that it had "continuing concerns in regard to the strengthening of the democratic process" and would keep monitoring its progress” What feeble concerns are these after the undeserved readmission of Pakistan? And the nine-member committee is so pliable to the wishes of America, Britain and Australia!

 

According to The Guardian reports, “Britain and Australia wanted to reward Musharraf for helping to fight al-Qaeda. Pakistan at the moment is seen as a key ally in the United States-led war on terror.” But is anyone really surprised? I guess not. All these, even though “Musharraf has successfully excluded from the country, the leaders of Pakistan's main political parties, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. A senior opposition leader Mukhadoom Javed Hashni is presently in jail.” And despite the fact that, the “U.S. State Department has said the prospect of democracy in Pakistan remain poor.” What gives? Musharraf gets a pass, thanks to Musharraf‘s powerful friends? The message in all of this, is glaringly clear.

 

And it is, if you are a dictator, a tyrant willing to do the biddings of America and Europe, you will be robed in congeniality by them, hence no dictator or tyrant survives in the world, without the tacit support and endorsement by the “masters” the dictator must have oil or some strategic value to  “the masters” but of course! Of genial tyrants and their foreign friends and overlords?

 

But why are those with pretensions to democracy and freedom, always willing to sacrifice high ideals on the altar of pittance? And short term parochial benefits? Why would lovers of democracy and freedom, cuddle some dictators and tyrants?