Al Jazeera: Bangladesh war crimes are "unfair"

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Al Jazeera: Bangladesh war crimes are "unfair"

Stephen Kay, an international lawyer tells Al Jazeera the tribunals are unfair

---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 AM ----------

Another news by Al Jazeera on behalf of the war crime trial this time:

Bangladesh's first war crimes trial deferred
Delwar Hossain Sayeedee, facing 20 charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, to return to court on November 20.

Bangladesh's first war crimes trial deferred - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Last Modified: 30 Oct 2011 11:54


A special court in Bangladesh set up to try war crimes suspects from the country's 1971 battle for independence has delayed the start of its first trial.

The prosecution was due to make an opening statement on Sunday against Delwar Hossain Sayedee, a leader of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party who is charged with 20 counts of crimes against humanity and genocide.

Sayedee denies the charges, which includes mass murder, rape, looting, arson, and forcing Hindus to convert to Islam.

Sayedee's lawyer had asked for a review of the charges and called for the withdrawal of tribunal chairman Nizamul Huq because of his alleged bias against defendants.

"The trial will now start on November 20," court register Shahinul Islam told the AFP news agency.

Stephen Kay, an international lawyer tells Al Jazeera the tribunals are unfair

Sayeedi was arrested in 2010 along with four other leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami who are accused of war crimes, including the party chief Matiur Rahman Nizami. Sayeedi is the first to be indicted by the tribunal.

Jamaat-e-Islami in 1971 openly campaigned against breaking away from Pakistan during the nine-month war in during which about three million people were killed.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of the independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established the court after she returned to power in 2009, but it has been widely criticised for targeting her political opponents.

Sayedee's supporters says the charges against him are politically motivated.

Jamaat-e-Islami was a key partner in the 2001-2006 government headed by Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister and current opposition leader.

Zia, the long-time political rival of Hasina, has called the tribunal a farce.

[video]http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/10/2011103010158155404.html[/video]

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Watch the video of the 2nd news here... Quite interesting.

Bangladesh's first war crimes trial deferred - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

 

[Vimana]

Hope the persons of these heinous crimes are charged and brought to the book for mass genocide.



Bangladesh: War crimes and misdemeanours | The Economist


Read a good piece from the economist on the subject

 

[Rafi]

A kangaroo court, will not get justice for anyone, will lead to more problems down the road, all the major human rights organizations are condemning this trial, but it is for Bangladeshis to decide if it is right or wrong.

 

[kobiraaz]

Awamileague Naa manjoor!!

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

How do you know?

Just go and ask any of the Indian cow smugglers what is favorite to the Bangladeshis....?? They will reply you in one word beef or the flesh of gayo mata. That is why they smuggle 1.5 million cow a year at least in Bangladesh. No body needs to ask it what is favorite to the Bnagladeshis in this regard. Even more then mutton.

 

[kobiraaz]

ডাল ভাত গরুর মাংস ! সাথে লেবু ! আর কি চাই ! অমৃত !

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

ডাল ভাত গরুর মাংস ! সাথে লেবু ! আর কি চাই ! অমৃত !

You forgot about amer achar...

 

[InFn-0]

I have no problems with war criminals getting tried but that has to be done by an international court not some AL made court meant to harass political opponents.

 

[TopCat]

I have no problems with war criminals getting tried but that has to be done by an international court not some AL made court meant to harass political opponents.

All arrested are known war criminals. I did not see any harrassment. 5/6 guys are under trial right?

 

[asad71]

1.What is being enacted now is an exercise by BAL to maul nationalist/rightist/Islamic forces and please the secularists in BD and in India. People in general want that the war criminals face justice. But this one is pure hogwash which will allow the actual criminals to remain untouched.

2. The people who had committed genocide, killings, rapes and massacre in 1971 must be brought to justice - irrespective of their nationality or present station/status. For a fair outcome, which will be able to clear bad blood between BD and Pak peoples, both Govts will have to cooperate and address this matter jointly and sincerely. Even the dead like Yahya, Mittha, Umar and Bhutto, etc must not be excluded. Justice Hamudur Rahman Commission Report could be a basis from Pakistan side.

3. But isn't that a tall order? If people could rise above petty politics, the 1971 carnage would not have occurred in the first place.

 

[integra]

Whats the need of trials anyway ? Why not finish this chapters
up once and for all? Anyways if one follows the trend then it becomes pretty
apparent that this criminals wouldn't be executed for future political gains
by the ones in power.

It has to be noted some of the criminals in question had openely lobbied
against the recognition of Bangladesh up until 1978. Some of them still does.
Sympathising with them and loving ones own flag seems rather contradictory.

Sad reality is this unfortunate citizens(!) has penetrated the system quite
successfully taking the advantage of our political horizon.

 

[idune]

i have never seen somebody who is ashamed of his identity.......

So when justice for these crime against humanity will come?

Memories of 1984 Sikh Genocide and Denial of Justice continue to traumatize and infuriate



Vancouver (November 7, 2010): For Gian Singh, President of the Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara in Surrey, memories of 1984 remain as clear as ever and resurfaced just last week when he shared his experience with me.He recounted: “I was in Delhi in the morning when we heard that [then prime minister of India] Indira Gandhi was murdered by two Sikh bodyguards. … We were inside the gurdwara in Delhi. Our neighbours said ‘stay inside, lock yourselves up and don’t go outside, it does not look safe.’ Then we saw so many people coming and burning places down. I was there, we tried to put a lock on the gate, and they tried to break it.

“They threw kerosene gas on me and started to punch my body. … They wanted me to go outside the gate and then suddenly someone started a big fire outside. … If we had gone outside we would have died.”

The issue that was so traumatizing for Gian Singh is how Sikhs were singled out and were not even safe in their own country.

Sikhs Remembering Genocide Lighting CandlesFor Shalinder Gill of Vancouver (see first photo), as he lit a candle at the vigil last Saturday at Dashmesh Darbar Gurdwara, 1984 evoked childhood memories of black smoke, noise, his mother giving out blankets and the tears of a woman in a gurdwara as she scrambled to save pieces of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Then there are the memories of a Sikh youth in Punjab, son of a well known martyr of 1984 (I have chosen to keep this name anonymous), thinking about his father’s sacrifices in connection to 1984. He told me this week from Punjab: “People are speaking even more this year about 1984 and the songs dedicated to 1984 are very popular and keeping the memory alive, in particular the song: “Asi Fan Han Yaaro Bhindran Wale Babe De.”

When I asked him how some of the Sikh youth are feeling in his village about 1984, he said: “Here the Sikh youth have all the anger inside, some have it buried deep inside and some have it alive.”

Meanwhile in Punjab, President of the Sikh Student Federation, Parmjeet Singh Gazi, told me on Wednesday morning: “People of Punjab have responded positively to the shutdown, approving the cause behind it. Sikhs feel betrayed by the state, as it has failed to deliver justice to the victims of Sikh Genocide of 1984.”

Sikhs Remembering Genocide Lighting Candles (2)Indeed, the collage of memories continue into the present day and commemoration of 1984 matters for Sikhs and non-Sikhs who not only oppose state violence with impunity but are continuing to resist and expose what some interpret to be deflection tactics employed by the Indian Government in India to eclipse the history of 1984. Most disturbingly is when political and / or community leaders attempt to down play, silence or politicize the 1984 atrocities which has the intended or unintended effect of distorting the facts of 1984. What is wrong with academics or human rights activists exposing this Sikh chapter of history to educate the next generation and to prevent further atrocities from reoccurring?

In closing, when others speak out and educate, it empowers and unites people. It gives meaning and so the flames of 1984 and the bodies burned to ashes do come alive again in memory and continue to unfold in the present only to influence the future in a new way.

Memories of 1984 Sikh Genocide and Denial of Justice continue to traumatize and infuriate*|*SikhSiyasat.net – Sikh News and Multimedia.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hindutva terror: Justice still eludes riot victims
Last updated on: October 18, 2011 17:51 IST
The 1984 anti-Sikh riots were by far the worst: 3,000 killed with zero Hindu deaths

In the third and final part of the interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, Subhash Gatade, author of Godse's Children -- Hindutva Terror In India, says that we should be wary of the majoritarian mindset which dominates what is known as civil society of our country.

Part I: 'Hindutva terror is not a recent phenomenon'

Part II: 'Hindutva terror has had a long gestation period'



If you have noticed all these incidents, the first information that always trickles in blames either the Students Islamic Movement of India or the Indian Mujahideen. Only a few years later does the other angle to it come out. Why do you think this is the case?

I have discussed many related aspects to your present query in your question 'Why has it taken so long for the police to crack down on this phenomenon called Hindu terror?' and also regarding 'role of security agencies as well'.

I would like to add only two points. It is high time that one seriously looks into the composition of security and investigating agencies, and ensure that it is made more diverse, more representative of our multi-religious, multiethnic, multilingual country, to avoid any unnecessary spins to investigations.

We should also be wary of the majoritarian mindset which dominates what is known as civil society of our country. Can we imagine any country in the world which calls itself the biggest democracy and where genocides/carnages are easily forgotten and the chattering classes are ready to turn a new leaf?

Look at Nellie massacre (Assam, 1983), Anti-Sikh riots (Delhi, 1984), Hashimpura (Merrut, UP, 1986) or killings of innocents in the aftermath of Babri Mosque demolition (1992-93) or the Gujarat carnage (2002).

You will find to your dismay that 'peace' has been definitely restored but justice still eludes the victims.

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-sh...stice-still-eludes-riots-victims/20111018.htm

 

[Bratva]

SO when Awami League will bring those people to justice who murdered raped and looted Non-bengalis and Biharies?

 

[idune]

All arrested are known war criminals. I did not see any harrassment. 5/6 guys are under trial right?

"known war criminals" by what evidence??? Awami kangraroo court and prosecutor could not even present evidence other than hearsay from 3rd and 4th hand so called witness. And Awami kangaroo court judge did not even share the hearsay "evidence"/statement with defense lawyers. Defence was not even allowed to present proper arguments. This is pure case of kangaroo justice and trial by hearsay propaganda.

If there is physical evidence I have no issue to try criminals. But without it is pure farcical.

Oh why Jammat leaders taken to jail and tortured before they are proven guilty? That is not harassment? Awami regime is using exactly your kind of kangaroo sense of justice against their political opponents, so called "war crime" trial is just pure farce.

What happened when Hasina and Awami League made alliance with Jammat, very people they are torturing. Why known war criminal, father in law of Shekih Hasina's daughter has not been arrested and put in trial?

Here is video (from picture) of Hasina and Jammat leaders doing joint activity against BNP:
SHEIKH HASINA AND NIZAMI TOGETHER (BOTH WAR CRIMINALS) - YouTube

Why commerce minister Farooq Khan family had not been arrested and put in trial for war crime?