BARBADOS AND THE OTHER COUNTRIES of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) must stand for something in world affairs.
Even though we are small nations, we must not adopt a posture of powerlessness, or content ourselves with being unobtrusive and taking the path of least resistance in relation to the large and powerful nations.
On the contrary, if we are to be true heirs to our foreparents’ struggle against the most horrific forms of slavery and colonialism, then our stance in this modern world must be one of boldly advocating and defending the interlocking principles of fairness, justice, the sovereign equality of large and small states, and the rule of law in international affairs.
And this is why, when the nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), led by Britain, France and the United States, flouted the fundamental principles of international law and embarked upon a barbaric and unjust military assault on the nation of Libya, our political party – the Peoples Empowerment Party (PEP) – denounced these Western nations in the most strident manner, and engaged in protest demonstrations that were directed at the US Embassy and the British High Commission in Barbados.
We pointed out then, as we still do now, that the issue had nothing to do with whether one liked or disliked Muammar Gaddafi, or whether one approved or disapproved of the then governing regime of Libya.
Rather, it had everything to do with standing up for the rule of law in international affairs, and insisting that powerful nations like Britain, France and the United States did not have the right to attack Libya and carry out a regime change simply because they considered that it was in their own best interests to do so. We warned that that was the path of imperialism and the law of the jungle.
We protested against these lawless abuses last year, and we intend to keep on protesting until the conscience of the world is aroused, and until our governmental leaders wake up to the fact that they have a duty to speak out and defend the principle of the rule of law in international affairs.
Indeed, in January, Mr David Comissiong, the president of the PEP, travelled all the way to New York City to participate in an historic “International People’s Tribunal” that sat in judgement over the national governments of Britain, France, Italy, Canada and the United States, in relation to their unlawful actions and policies towards Libya, the Ivory Coast and Haiti.
The tribunal was coordinated by the highly regarded New York based December 12th Movement; and was held at Columbia University Law School, in the presence of a large assembly of political and human rights activists.
Mr Comissiong served as president of a presiding panel of judges that included Lennox Hinds, professor of Rutgers University, and Rosemari Mealy, professor of the City University of New York.
After an opening statement by Dr Molefi Asante, professor of Temple University, four specially appointed prosecutors presented indictments, along with accompanying evidence, against the political and military leaders of Britain, France, the United States and other Western states, in respect of a variety of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other breaches of international law committed against Libya, Ivory Coast, Haiti and Blacks in the United States.
And so, we are doing our part, and will continue to do our part to keep alive the sacred demand for a just, decent and civilized world order.
• The PEP column represents the views of the People’s Empowerment Party. Email [email protected]
