just commentary april 2011

Vol 11, No 04 April 2011

ARTICLESSTATEMENTS

JAPAN’S NUCLEAR DISASTER

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LIBYA STOP THE KILLING NOW!........ Thepeace-loving citizens of the world should regard it astheir sacred duty to appeal to the governments of France,Britain, the U.S.A. and others ....................... Page 3

.TUNISIA - AN INTERVIEW WITH RASHID

AL-GHANNOUCHI..........................................P 5

By Michael Allan

.BRADLEY MANNING TELLS OF PRISON

ORDEAL...........................................................P 8

.CANCER RATE IN FALLUJAH WORSE THAN

HIROSHIMA...................................................P 9

Japan is one of the most, if not the mosttechnologically advanced nations in

the world.Also ‘highly advanced’, were the

reassurances emanating from thedisaster-scenario-refuseniks i.e. nuclearenergy advocates – and not just fromthose based in Japan – who in effect wereclaiming: Engineering and contingencyhad trumped human error and the naturalgargantuan planetary physical forces.The talking heads were still heardchampioning human endeavour sometime after the massive explosion hadplainly destroyed most structures aroundreactor #3, and as I type, The Japan Timesreports “…authorities said itscontainment vessel may have ruptured,spewing a radioactive cloud.” But thosevoices will be back, confident that thepassage of time affords them cover torepeat their lullaby message.

CONTINGENCY

Contingency is of course, a necessaryfunction, but suffers from an inescapableproblem that its practicality rapidlydiminishes in proportion to the magnitudeof the initial ‘triggering’ event.

Subsequently, and perhaps moresignificantly, the input of post-initialevents degrade contingency plans evenmore, effectively causing them to collapselike a house of cards, described maybe,by what is known as the ‘Butterfly effect’made all the more chaotic by thesequential events such as the multiplenuclear reactor failures at Fukushima, setto extract a terrible human cost as thewing-flap grows into a thunderstorm.

Today, 16th March, 5 days after theTsunami, the BBC carries a news updatethat “The Japanese government has

decided to accept the help of doctors

from overseas as an exceptional measure

to treat survivors of the devastating

earthquake”. World News Australia(sbs.com.au) writes on 16th March“Millions have been left without water,

electricity, fuel or enough food and

hundreds of thousands more are

homeless, stoically coping with freezing

cold and wet conditions in the

northeast.”. Even in Tokyo, food supplyis dwindling. So from the point of view ofthe ‘predicted’ natural events like theearthquake and Tsunami (all within the

sphere of sharply increasing global foodprices), there is little evidence thatcontingency plans are successful or evenin operation, and to think this wouldn’thappen outside Japan, is absurd.

SAFETY FIRST PLEASE!

Just as medical practitioners aresupposed to follow the “Firstly, do noharm” principle of the fine HippocraticOath, why can the same principle notapply to the nuclear industry, and indeedindustry as a whole? Is such anexpectation unreasonable? Why do wesee a prominence of a de facto oathamounting to “do whatever you can getaway with”? If the lofty Hippocraticprinciple was upheld, would the nuclearenergy industry ever come online? Couldwe have prevented the withering touchof the nuclear age from worming its wayinto the lives of so many people?

We look for hope when disasterstrikes and it’s encouraging to see anumber of countries, such as Germany,seemingly initiate a reappraisal of theirnuclear energy programs. Hopefully thisisn’t just for show, although I suspect it is.

LIBYA: IS A NO-FLY ZONE THE

SOLUTION?........ If the United Nations SecurityCouncil (UNSC) discusses the imposition of a No-Fly Zone(NFZ) over Libya ...........................................Page 4

.REFLECTING ON CAMBODIA’S NATIONAL DAY

OF MOURNING..............................................P 11

Foreword: We must begin by praying for the people of Japan; A people who after the US nuclear bombing of the citiesHiroshima and Nagasaki, know better than anyone else what protracted horrors nuclear contamination will bring. Wemust also pray that the 50 or so workers in the plant, who are likely to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of others, will

succeed in reducing the severity of this appalling nuclear nightmare.

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U.S. President Obama, the recipientof much hope in 2009, doesn’treciprocate. The Washington Post (15thMarch) headlines” “Obama defends useof nuclear energy despite calamity inJapan.” With the aid of his indispensibleteleprompter, his emotionless words tothe Japanese people a few days ago werematched with an equally unmovedresponse to future plans for the U.S.nuclear energy industry. US broadcastingstation CBS which reported in Februarylast year: “A Quarter of U.S. Nuclear Plants(27 out of 104) Leaking” and the on-goingdisaster in Japan are apparentlymeaningless, carrying no weight with

Obama. Obama is impervious – quite

different from the ‘terra’ into which thesenuclear substances are leaking, e.g. thecarcinogen tritium, which ends up indrinking water. Water, one suspects thatwill never pass Obama’s lips.

Both Japan and the US sit on theinfamous ‘Ring of Fire’. While earthquakeprediction is precarious, Obama displaysnuclear recklessness. He seems to havedismissed a professional paper by US.Geological Survey (USGS), authored byChris Goldfinger, a marine geologist atOregon State University in Corvallis. Thepaper says “America’s Pacific Northwesthas a 37% chance of being hit by amagnitude 8 or larger earthquake in thenext 50 years” and was reported by thefamous science based organization‘Nature’. In 2008 Reuters news agencyreported the USGS as saying “Thequestion is not if but when SouthernCalifornia will be hit by a major earthquake— one so damaging that it willpermanently change lives and livelihoodsin the region,”

A number of nuclear power plants lienear the U.S.’s Pacific rim, but who cares,it’s only safety we’re talking about here.

ENVIRONMENT

Like Chernobyl, a bewilderingassortment of nuclear radioisotopes lookset to shower large areas of ocean andland after a 25 year gap. Radioactivecaesium and iodine were detected anumber of days ago. Delving into thedeeper layer of metallic tasting

chocolates, we can expect to find helpingof MOX (mixed oxide) containingreprocessed uranium and plutonium. Thispowered reactor #3 (the one with thehuge explosion throwing debris manyhundreds of feet straight up into the air,and showing massive damage via satelliteand ground images - the reactor theyaren’t really talking much about). MOXfuel may also have been present at reactor#4, where fire was located previously.The intense heat can cause nuclear fuelto burn causing plumes of radioactivesmoke contaminating the air. Plutoniumis the most toxic element, famed for beingable to kill from a millionth of a gram. Thegreatest environmental casualty willprobably be the great Pacific Oceanwhich covers almost half of the globe.

While this minimizes exposureintensity to humans, the effect on oceaniclife and therefore human fisheries isunmanageable in the near future. It’s likelyto disperse around the world in thefullness of time. This marks the beginningof a cursed legacy. All areas of theenvironment are on the precipice of beingseriously damaged.

SECRECY

Reports in the mainstream corporatenews do refreshingly well to relay multiplecases of suspicions held by someJapanese in relation to the honesty ofthose involved in its nuclear industry, thegovernment and those managing thedisaster. Even the IAEA expressedfrustration at the lack of informationbeing provided by Japanese authoritiesalready tainted with a history of cover-ups and lies about nuclear relatedaccidents. Not that Japan isuncharacteristic; Like chips and gravy,nuclear issues and secrecy go hand inhand, which only encourages cover-ups,incompetence, and complacency. Thereis no reason to think matters will improve.

This, coupled with the generaltendency not to challenge apparentcenters of power or authority (aphenomenon that’s stronger in Asian –particularly peaking with Japanese–culture) provides a poor operationalenvironment for nuclear related activitiesin Asia – for the ordinary person I mean,

for the corporations, it’s great!Today, the UK’s Daily Telegraph has

a piece based on Wikileaks cables sayingJapan was warned by the IAEA morethan two years ago that its nuclear powerplants were not capable of withstandingpowerful earthquakes. If true, thatprovides ample demonstration of theeffects of secrecy. Oh, thoseassurances…

SCIENCE AND PROGRESS

Personally I reject the parrotedpseudo equation that development =progress = good.

Development brings with it a rangeof problems which are seldom addressedbecause they slow things down and comewith a burdensome cost. It’s the same oldstory, money is King and the nuclearenergy sector plays an enormous ‘big-money’ role. Little is said or done againstit, least it means the foot lifts (slightly)from the gas pedal of the money churningjuggernaut.

Modern luddites – people not willing

to kiss nuclear rods – are often portrayed

as ‘backwards’ and unscientificNeanderthals. Largely unpublicized,there are scientists that do opposenuclear energy on numerous grounds.But that fact is inconvenient.

Scientists who oppose nuclearenergy understand that being ‘scientific’doesn’t necessarily mean any benefitnullifies any problems. Just becausesomething is scientific doesn’t mean it’scompulsory to embrace and exploit it(ergo there churns the money machine).

Negative aspects of science, such asthe dreadfully serious issue of nuclearwaste which exists in colossal amountsand cannot be destroyed (the “advancedscientific solution” is to bury it in theground or throw it into the sea!) stilldoesn’t worry all those pushingdynamically and passively towards a‘nuclear planet’, chanting that nuclearenergy will help the poor and bring lightto the people in the kampong (ruralvillages), or cure world hunger or healthe sick.

After 50 years or so hasn’t this ‘boonto humanity’ proven to be a bane? We

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have 1 billion people going hungry eachday. “That means we need more nuclearpower plants” comes the reply. Spirallingmadness!

We must spend time and effort toharnessing non-lethal renewable formsof energy. One can only imagine theprogress made in this area if thealternative energy sector had nearly asmuch money spent on it as the nuclearsector has. Not so long ago, I watchedan amazing video http://w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=Ep4L18zOEYI which planned(and had prototyped) turning the roadnetwork into a road of solar panels.Surprisingly, solar panel use in the UKhas proven to be highly successful andthe efficiency of solar panels just keepson increasing. Another energy prototypeI saw utilized was the relentless pulsatingwave power of the sea (which the Tsunamiamply demonstrated just a few daysago), not only generating electricity on

the spot, but also pumping water on landwhich could act as a conventional if notsmall scale hydroelectric dam, useable atany time.

And if we really question whether theindustrialization of life is actuallybeneficial to the majority of the world’s

people–to which I will presume for the

sake of argument carries the answer ‘No’

–then we should realize this energy

guzzling isn’t actually in tune with whoand what we are.

And what of spirituality? Has thehuge use of energy made us morespiritual people? If you need the thinkabout that, isn’t the answer already clear?The disaster in Japan is pushing us closerto addressing these questions, but I fearmore, even greater crises, with higherlevels of suffering and more prolific ratesof cancer rates must yet occur beforefinally, ‘the powers that be’ address thisissue with any seriousness andconviction.

In the meantime, the ordinary people

of Japan are looking at a terrible scenario.One, which you would not wish on yourworst enemy.

I, nay we, sit in anxious wait of newsabout the fallout. How manycontemptuous excuses will follow?. Willthe quantity of excuses and subsequenttorrent of ‘reassurances 2.0’ surpass thecases of radiation sickness andsuccessive generational cancers that thismultiplicitious disaster looks set todeliver?

It’s high time we bring the nuclear ageto an end.

The specifics of the disaster at theFukushima nuclear plant are likely to bewildly out of date when this article finallyreaches print. The reader is asked toconsider the broader points rather thanthe immediate specifics of this latestnuclear disaster.

16 March, 2011

Michael Allan is a lecturer at UniversitiTeknologi MARA (UITM), Malaysia. He is also

an EXCO member of JUST.

STATEMENTSLIBYA : STOP THE KILLING NOW!

The peace-loving citizens of the worldshould regard it as their sacred duty toappeal to the governments of France,Britain, the United States of America andothers who are involved in the aerialbombardment of Libya; the MuammarGaddafi government; and the rebelsfighting the Gaddafi government, tocease all military operations immediately.Some governments have already calledfor a total ceasefire, among them China,India, Iran, Russia and Turkey.

There are at least two compellingreasons why military operations shouldstop at once. One, in spite of denials fromthe US, British and other Western militarycommands, some alternative media arereporting mounting civilian casualties.

The ‘No Fly Zone’ that these statesare attempting to impose upon Libya issupposed to save lives but what ishappening in reality is something else.

Two, even if Western air powerdestroys not only Libya’s aerial defense

but also Gaddafi’s entire military machine,there is no guarantee that he and hiscoterie would be ousted from power,considering that he still enjoys somesupport among his people. On theground, he is stronger militarily than hisopponents who are split into contendingfactions and are hopelessly disorganized.This could lead to a protracted civil warwith dire consequences for the countryand the region as a whole.

The cessation of military conflictwould be one aspect of a much largernegotiated political settlement betweenGaddafi and the rebels that must includehis own departure and the exit of his familyand cronies from the citadel of power inthe shortest possible time. An interimgovernment, a proper constitution andprovision for a free and fair electionwould all be part of the deal.

Who can help mediate such asolution?

The Turkish leadership has the

credibility and the ability to play a pivotalrole. The Chinese, Indian, German,Russian and Brazilian governments canalso help to bring the Gaddafi governmentand the rebels to the negotiating table.

Given the likelihood of a stalemateon the military front, it is notinconceivable that Gaddafi and the rebelswill agree to talk, especially if there issufficient international pressure.However, can the Western allies also bepersuaded to end their military assaultimmediately?

The chances are remote. Since theirreal objective is to establish control overLibya and its oil and gas through a pliableregime, they will continue their attack untilthere is some certainty that such a regimewill emerge. In fact, they have alreadybegun escalating their operations.According to a media report, the Frenchaircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle joinedthe assault on the 22nd of March while

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Belgian and Spanish war planes havebegun air patrols over Libya,strengthening the American, British,French and Dutch squadrons. If the ‘NoFly Zone’ does not achieve the allies’goal, one should not rule out theinjection of ground troops into thebattlefield, though there is somehesitation among the allies about such acourse of action at this moment.

Their dogged determination topursue their objective convincesobservers that the Libyan adventureparallels in some respects the US helmedwar on behalf of Kuwait in 1991 and theIraq war of 2003. In all three instancesthe desire to gain control over oil emergesas the common factor. In the case ofKuwait, Saddam Hussein’s foolishinvasion of a weak neighbor, and, in thecase of Iraq, his non-existent weaponsof mass destruction helped the US andits allies to justify their nefarious agenda.Gaddafi’s despotic rule and his brutalsuppression of his adversaries serve asimilar purpose in the case of Libya.Exploiting the fatal flaws of a morallydepraved leader to legitimize their owninsatiable greed is a tactic often employedby hegemonic powers.

That it is their self-interest thatdominates their political machinations inWest Asia and North Africa becomes

even more obvious in the stance that theUS and its allies have adopted towardsthe crisis in Bahrain and Yemen. Thoughthe Bahraini royal family has brutallysuppressed the mass uprising of itslargely Shia population with the help ofsoldiers and tanks from neighboringSaudi Arabia, US, British and Frenchleaders have acquiesced with their movelargely because the king, Hamad bin Isaal-Khalifa, is their loyal ally who hoststhe US Fifth Fleet. Similarly, when anotherally, the President of Yemen, Ali AbdullahSalleh, who has been in power for 32years, mobilized his security forces andhis militia to massacre 52 peacefulprotesters on 18th March 2011, all thatPresident Obama could do was to makesome innocuous noises about theinappropriateness of violent responsesto people’s demands.

The champions of democracy in theWest, it appears, have no qualms aboutendorsing the suppression of peacefuldemocratic movements for change as longas it serves their hegemonic economicand political interests. If some popularmovement succeeds in toppling anoppressive dictator who was allied to theWest— as it happened in Egypt andTunisia— then either Washington orLondon or Paris will try to direct the flowof change in the post- uprising phaseaided and abetted by those institutions

and individuals in the country inquestion with whom it enjoys close ties.In this regard, elements in the top brassof the armed forces in Egypt and Tunisia,it is alleged, are working hand in glovewith certain centers of power in the Westto ensure that their mutual interestsprevail at the end of the day.

Managing and manipulating thepeople’s desire for genuine change in thismanner, or endorsing the suppression ofpopular movements, or exploiting arebellion in order to seize a nation’sresources, only serve to undermine theArab uprising of 2011. The Arab masses,and indeed people everywhere, shouldnot allow this to happen. This is why weshould all oppose the meddling ofWestern hegemonic powers in themomentous developments unfolding inNorth Africa and West Asia.

Urging Western powers to stop themilitary assault upon Libya whileappealing to Gaddafi and the rebels toobserve an immediate ceasefire, is a pleafrom the heart aimed at protecting thelives of people, and ensuring theirindependence and their dignity.

Dr Chandra Muzaffar

President ,

International Movement for a Just

World (JUST) and Professor of Global

Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

25 March, 2011

LIBYA : IS A NO-FLY ZONE THE SOLUTION?If the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) discusses the imposition of aNo-Fly Zone (NFZ) over Libya in the nextfew days it should give serious attentionto the situation on the ground and theevolving military and political dynamicsin the country.

When Libyans in Benghazi rose upagainst the Gaddafi government on 15February 2011, it echoed popularuprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Given thedespotism, nepotism and elite corruptionof the Gaddafi government, many of usfelt that Muammar Gaddafi should quitimmediately. Instead of quitting he usedexcessive force to suppress the massprotest. It angered international publicopinion.

In this regard, it should be concededthat unlike the uprisings in Tunisia, Egyptand other Arab states, the protesters inLibya resorted to arms almost from thevery outset. Their rapid take-over of anumber of towns in the initial phase ofthe conflict was due in some measure tothis. The ensuing violence has injected anew and unhealthy element into what hasbeen otherwise a peaceful uprising ofthe Arab masses in North Africa and WestAsia.

It now appears that Gaddafi hasregained the initiative. His forces haverecaptured important towns and largeswathes of the country. Well-trained andbetter equipped soldiers and air-power,which his adversaries are without, have

helped his military offensive. But if hehas made significant advances, it is alsobecause he still has the support of asegment of the populace and of some ofthe principal tribes. This is why he andhis henchmen are now projecting thestate’s military action as a legitimateattempt to put down an armed rebellionwhich any government in its place woulddo. And the Gaddafi government is in lawthe legitimate government of Libya.

What this means is that the situationthat faces the UNSC has becomeexceedingly complex. If it tries toestablish a NFZ now— given Gaddafi’spresent control over Libya and itspeople— it would be seen as “unlawful

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ARTICLES

intervention in the internal affairs of asovereign state, prohibited by Article 2(7)of the UN Charter”, to quote ProfessorRichard Falk, the distinguished expert onInternational Law. Gaddafi will retaliateespecially since the force mandated bythe UNSC to establish a NFZ (if ithappens) will first have to crippleGaddafi’s air defences. This couldprolong the conflict. More lives will belost, including civilian lives.

There is also no guarantee that a NFZwill succeed to dislodge Gaddafi from hisperch. If, after a couple of weeks of NFZ,he is still in power and able to maintainhis grip upon his people, the UNSC forcemay be compelled to send in groundtroops. There will then be a full-scale war.More bloody battles will occur. A segmentof the Libyan population, a lot of otherArabs and concerned groups in theGlobal South and even the Global Northwill view the UNSC force as a camouflagefor Western invasion and occupation of

Libya. Given what has happened in theArab world in recent years— specificallythe occupation of Iraq since 2003— itwill be perceived as yet another craftyWestern ploy to gain control over anextremely rich, sparsely populated oil-exporting state.

Even as it is, some commentators arecontemptuous of claims made by leadersin certain Western and Arab capitals thatthe real purpose of the NFZ is to savelives. Why, they ask, were theirgovernments not concerned aboutsaving lives in Gaza when it was beingpounded by Israeli jets and missiles inJanuary 2009? Or Shabra and Shatilla inLebanon in 1982? Or the Ivory Coasttoday? Or the Congo and the Sudanyesterday?

Rather than be accused of selectivejustice and biased manoeuvres, Westernand other governments in the UNSCshould explore, with greater sincerity andseriousness, political remedies to theconflict in Libya. One such remedy

already adopted by the UNSC on 26February 2011 is resolution 1970(2011)which inter alia imposes travel and assetsanctions against Gaddafi, his family andhis aides, and an arms embargo upon theLibyan government. Though it will take abit of time for its full impact to be felt,these are potentially effective measures.The UNSC should also endorse effortsby African and Latin American leadersclose to Gaddafi to meet with him andother Libyan leaders includingrepresentatives of the rebellion. Theyshould try their very best to persuade thelong-serving Libyan dictator to stepdown on the basis of a time-table andwithin the framework of a solution thatensures the sovereignty, independenceand territorial integrity of Libya.

Such a resolution to the conflict is alot better than escalating it through a No-Fly Zone, the outcome of which is fraughtwith uncertainties.

Chandra Muzaffar14 March, 2011.

TUNISIA - AN INTERVIEW WITH RASHID AL-GHANNOUCHIBy Mahan Abedin

On Sunday 30 January Rashid Al-Ghannouchi, the 69 year old leader of theTunisian Islamic movement, returnedhome after a long exile in London. Theinternational media has interpreted Al-Ghannouchi’s return as the most potentsymbol yet of the dramatic changes thathave taken place in Tunisia in recentweeks.

Al-Ghannouchi is widely regarded torepresent the most liberal andprogressive strand in Arab Islamistpolitics. Born in 1941 in Qabis province(southern Tunisia) he received highereducation in Cairo, Damascus and theSorbonne in Paris. In 1981 Al-Ghannouchifounded the Al-Ittijah al-Islami (IslamicTendency) which was renamed Hizb al-Nahda (aka Hizb Ennahda) or theRenaissance Party in 1989.

Al-Ghannouchi has been at theforefront to resistance againstauthoritarian regimes in Tunisia from the

early 1980s. His return to Tunisia looksset to bring about important changes notonly in his native country but NorthAfrica more broadly and perhaps evenfurther afield. Coupled with widerdevelopments in the region (notably theunrest in Egypt) it may mark the point atwhich Islamists are gradually allowed tofully participate in the politics andgovernance of North African states.

Mahan Abedin conducted thisinterview in London on Thursday 27January 2011.

MA: Were you surprised by the speedof the apparent revolution in Tunisia?RAG: I expected a revolution to occur inTunisia, but not of the speed that wewitnessed.MA: You were expecting change for along time?RAG: There have been uprisings in partsof Tunisia in the past two to three years,

especially in Gafsa and Ben Gardan in thesouth. Several months ago I wrote on Al-Jazeera net that this chain of dissent willeventually cohere and erupt in the capitalcity. I have argued for a long time that theTunisian regime can’t reform from within;it has to be changed from without.MA: On that note, it appears that the oldguard is pulling out all the stops to clingto power. Are we witnessing a truerevolutionary moment or a carefullymanaged and contrived change?RAG: It is a revolutionary moment. Whenyou talk to people in Tunisia you feel thata real revolution has occurred. The peopleare ready to sacrifice their lives tosafeguard the achievements of recentweeks. The people want to see an end toall the symbols of the RCD[Constitutional Democratic Rally] partyand the former regime.MA: Given the complex dynamics at play

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- for example the role of the army andthe security forces and the externaldimension namely the desire by theWestern powers to contrive reformsunder the existing regime rather thanrisk the emergence of a new system -are you hopeful that meaningful changecan come as quickly as you would wish?RAG: The Tunisian street can’t beappeased with small and half-heartedgestures. The Tunisian street is activeand is keeping the elites under intensepressure. Until now the Tunisian eliteshave failed to reflect the people’s will,namely to construct a democratic regimewithout the RCD apparatus. Anotherproblem is that the international order hasintervened on behalf of continuity inTunisia. They want to change theappearance of the regime and not itsessence.MA: What is your personal situation;have you been granted an amnesty toreturn?RAG: Yesterday [Wednesday 26 January]I went to the Tunisian Embassy inLondon to collect my passport. For 22years I have been protesting outside theTunisian Embassy, it was only yesterdaythat I was allowed inside. The people incharge of the embassy received uswarmly but in the evening they phonedmy son to say that my amnesty hasn’tbeen approved. They said that if I go backto Tunisia I’ll be doing so at my own risk.MA: You haven’t visited Tunisia for 22years?RAG: Yes.MA: The fact that they are implying thatyou may be arrested upon your returnindicates that the old security clique isstill powerful, don’t you agree?RAG: I don’t think they will arrest me.They are very weak and need legitimacyfrom the people. It is the people who areon the offensive. Even if they do arrestme it won’t advance their cause.MA: Why haven’t you gone backalready?RAG: I have been obliged to go into exileby the dictatorial regime. Now that theregime in Tunisia has collapsed or is onthe verge of collapsing I am going back.

MA: Are you making preparations to goback?RAG: I am going back on Sunday [30January]. My flight leaves at 8.30 in themorning.MA: Why haven’t Islamists played aprominent role in the street protests?The people on the streets appeared to beof the trendy variety; left-wing beardsand fancy veils dominated the scenes.RAG: Islamists can be trendy too! TheTunisian Islamists are different toIslamists in other parts of the Arab world.They have been fiercely harassed andrepressed for decades and as aconsequence they are reluctant to showthemselves or to adopt an Islamistappearance. For the past 22 years theyhave kept their Islamic identity in theirhearts as opposed to wearing it on theirsleeves in the form of headscarves andbeards.MA: On a more serious note, you areadamant that Islamists played a leadingrole in the street protests that forcedZine El Abidine Ben Ali from power?RAG: No one can pretend that thisrevolution has been led by Islamists orCommunists or any other group for thatmatter. This is a popular revolution andall the trends in Tunisian political societyare present on the scene. At the sametime it is clear that the Islamists are thebiggest political force in Tunisia. Theformer regime suppressed all groups andin this transitional period all the groupsare concentrating on rebuildingthemselves.MA: You are widely regarded as areformist in the international Islamistcurrent. In your interview with Al-Jazeera on 22 January you appeared tocategorically reject the IslamicCaliphate in favour of democracy. Is thisthe culmination of your reformistIslamist thought?RAG: This is the authentic and realisticposition. The notion of Khilafah(Caliphate) is not a religious one as somegroups claim. It reflects a period of time.MA: Is your embrace of democracystrategic or tactical?RAG: It is strategic. Democracy is crucialto dealing with and reconciling different

and even conflicting interests in society.Islam has a strong democratic spiritinasmuch as it respects religious, socialand political differences. Islam has neverfavoured a monolithic state. Throughouttheir history Muslims have objected tothe imposition of a single all-powerfulinterpretation of Islam. Any attempt toimpose a single interpretation has alwaysproven inherently unstable andtemporary.MA: Of late Islamism has been morefocussed on moral issues and identitypolitics, as opposed to taking concretesteps towards securing social justice. Irefer to staple social justice demands,like affordable housing, cheap food andjob security. Is Al-Nahda in a position toaddress these issues both at a theoreticaland practical level?RAG: The origin of most Nahdawis[supporters of Al-Nahda] is in the ruralareas of Tunisia. We understand socialjustice very well.MA: You used to have a left-wing outlookand rhetoric in your earlier days,especially the 1970s and early 1980s. Isthat still the case?RAG: In my youth I was a Nasserist.Islam is against injustice and themonopoly of wealth and resources. Thenotion of brotherhood in Islam hasprofound socio-economic implications inso far as it points to the equitabledistribution of economic resources. In theeconomic sphere Islam is closer to theleft-wing outlook, without violating theright to private property. TheScandinavian socio-economic model isclosest to the Islamic vision.MA: Is there any tension between theinternal wing of Al-Nahda and the exiledleadership?RAG: No. There are differences of viewsbut you can’t describe it as a clashbetween those inside and those outsidethe country.MA: What is your current position inthis movement?RAG: At the Al-Nahda conference of2001 I was elected by a majority of 53%of the delegates. At the last conferencein 2007 I was elected to the position of

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President of Al-Nahda by a majority of63% of the delegates. Back in 2007 Ideclared that this would be the last time Istand for the leadership of the movement.MA: What is Al-Nahda’s vision for thefuture of Tunisia?RAG: Tunisia needs a coalitiongovernment. No single group can rule onits own. The former regime destroyed orseverely undermined the organisationalcapacity of all political groups and we allneed time to rebuild our strength.MA: That is the short-term scenario butin terms of the long-term what is yourvision for the country? Do you envisageWestern-style Liberal Democracy or amore indigenous form of democracy?RAG: The best model I can think of isthe one adopted by the [ruling] AKP[Justice and Development Party] inTurkey.MA: From a constitutional point of view,do you aspire to a Presidential systemor a Parliamentary one?RAG: Tunisia needs a Parliamentarysystem where power is more directlyinvested in the people. A Presidentialsystem risks inviting authoritarianism asoccurred under Bourghiba and Ben Ali.We need a system that distributes poweracross the country at all levels.MA: How do you position Al-Nahda inthe wider global Islamist experience?RAG: Al-Nahda represents themainstream of the Islamic movement inso far as we struggle to overcome a rangeof religious, ideological, political andinstitutional obstacles to bring aboutdemocracy to the Muslim world. Themovement is at the forefront of this trendnot only in the Arab world but also in thebroader Muslim world. An-Nahda hasdevoted a lot of effort to developingIslamic political theory. We stand forIslamic democratic thought, Islamicdemocracy if you will.MA: In that case you are an ideologicalally of religious intellectuals like theformer Iranian President SeyedMohammad Khatami who expended a lotof effort to popularise the theme ofIslamic democracy at the highest levelof international politics.

RAG: Yes I belong to that trend but unlikeKhatami I don’t believe in Velayat-e-Faqih [Rule of the Jurisconsult].MA:Islamic Democracy soundsappealing in theory but the trouble is wedon’t know what it looks like in practice.Let’s focus on one important aspect ofpolitical theory, namely the perennialquest for social justice. TraditionallyIslamists have understood social justicein a narrow sense as a form of charityand not in a deep and contextual sensethat takes into account all the prevailingdimensions and dynamics. Do youenvisage Al-Nahda and other Islamistsmaking a historic breakthrough in thisfield?RAG: Al-Nahda hasn’t had theopportunity to develop and explain itsviews. Since 1981 the movement hasstruggled to survive in the face of fiercerepression. Nevertheless, if you reviewour literature from the past three decadesyou’ll notice that the topic of socialjustice comes up again and again. Wehave worked closely with the trade unionsin Tunisia even though these bodies wereunder strong secular left-wing influence,especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Byworking with the trade unions we realisedhow close our views on social justicewere to theirs. It was amid this processof interaction that we came to theconclusion that Islam , at least in thepublic sphere, is synonymous withjustice and the quest for justice.Consequently we encouraged our peopleto join the trade unions.MA: You mentioned the Turkish AKPexample earlier. What has been theimpact of the AKP experience onIslamists worldwide, but particularly inthe Arab world?RAG: I believe my thoughts haveinfluenced the AKP. My books andarticles have been widely translated intoTurkish. A few months ago when I visitedIstanbul I was approached by manypeople on the streets, so much so that Ijoked why should I go back to Tunisiawhen I can start a political campaign here!The successful AKP experience hasinfluenced Islamists everywhere. Theother examples of Islamists in power, for

example in Iran, Afghanistan and Sudan,are not associated with success.MA: On that note, what is your critiqueof the Muslim Brotherhood?RAG: The Muslim Brotherhood is a verybig body and it is not easy to change ordevelop such big organisations,especially when they are assailed andoppressed by repressive regimes.Nevertheless, the Brotherhood hasundertaken reform; they have acceptedthe multi-party system and they play apivotal role in the trade unions. Thesedays their leaders emerge from inside thetrade union movement not from the Al-Azhar [Seminary]. This is very important.However, the Muslim Brothers’ last partyprogramme contained some points whichI openly criticised. For example, I criticisedtheir statement that Copts and womenshould be barred from running for thepresidency. I also criticised their idea thata body of Ulama should oversee theparliament. But after the attack on theCoptic Church in Cairo the Secretary-General of the Muslim Brotherhood,Ibrahim Mounir, agreed to review theBrotherhood’s policy towards the Copts.It appears that the Muslim Brotherhoodnow accepts the notion of citizenship asthe basis of running all political affairs,including election to the highest office.MA: Are you worried by the rise ofapolitical and regime-sponsoredSalafism in Tunisia and further afield?RAG: There are many categories ofSalafis, some of whom are in the serviceof the dictatorship regimes. They wouldlike to be on friendly terms with all theregimes, even the overthrown regime ofBen Ali. These groups are exploited bysections of the Mukhaberat [intelligenceservices].MA: Are you worried by this trend?RAG: No. This trend has no popularitybecause they are aligned with theregimes. The Muslim and Arab peoplesare in revolt against these regimes. Theonly category of Salafism which mayhave a social base is Jihadi Salafism. TheJihadi Salafis’ relative popularity is basedon their opposition to the ruling regimes.There isn’t necessarily a popular base for


8A R T I C L E S


their views on religion and politics.MA: Do you envisage the Tunisianexample sweeping across the proverbialArab street?RAG: The Arab regimes face implosionfrom within and change from without.This isn’t necessarily a consequence ofthe Tunisian Revolution but a naturaloutgrowth of decades of oppression andmisrule. There is a similar set of socio-economic and political conditions in allthe Arab countries and the dynamic ofchange appears unstoppable.

MA: On that note, what are the keypolitical lessons of the TunisianRevolution for Islamists?RAG: The main lesson is that Islamistshave to work with others. They shouldtotally abandon the view that they canrule on their own. Furthermore, Islamistsshould relinquish the ambition tomonopolise Islam and appear as the onlyvoice of Islam.MA: But does your view resonate insituations where Islamists have comeinto armed confrontation with the rulingregimes thus triggering a vicious cycle

of polarisation, radicalisation andrepression? I refer specifically toneighbouring Algeria.RAG: Even in Algeria Islamists areincreasingly coming to the conclusionthat violence isn’t the answer. Violenceentrenches the security state and dimsthe prospect for the type of reformsenvisaged by Islamists.

30 January, 2011

Mahan Abedin is a journalist specialising in

Islamic affairs.

Source: Countercurrents.org

By Ed PilkingtonBRADLEY MANNING TELLS OF PRISON ORDEAL

Bradley Manning, the US soldier beingheld in solitary confinement on suspicionof having released state secrets toWikiLeaks, has spoken out for the firsttime about what he claims is his punitiveand unlawful treatment in military prison.

In an 11-page legal letter released byhis lawyer, David Coombs, Manning setsout in his own words how he has been“left to languish under the unduly harshconditions of max [security] custody”ever since he was brought from Kuwaitto the military brig of Quantico marinebase in Virginia in July last year. Hedescribes how he was put on suicidewatch in January, how he is currentlybeing stripped naked every night, andhow he is in general terms beingsubjected to what he calls “unlawful pre-trial punishment”.

It is the first time Manning hasspoken publicly about his treatment,having previously only been heardthrough the intermediaries of his lawyerand a friend. Details that have emergedup to now have inspired the UN to launchan inquiry into whether the conditionsamount to torture, and have led toprotests to the US government fromAmnesty International.

The most graphic passage of theletter is Manning’s description of howhe was placed on suicide watch for threedays from 18 January. “I was stripped ofall clothing with the exception of myunderwear. My prescription eyeglasseswere taken away from me and I was forced

to sit in essential blindness.”Manning writes that he believes the

suicide watch was imposed not becausehe was a danger to himself but asretribution for a protest about histreatment held outside Quantico the daybefore. Immediately before the suicidewatch started, he said guards verballyharassed him, taunting him withconflicting orders.

When he was told he was being put

on suicide watch, he writes, “I becameupset. Out of frustration, I clenched myhair with my fingers and yelled: ‘Why areyou doing this to me? Why am I beingpunished? I have done nothing wrong.’”

He also describes the experience ofbeing stripped naked at night and madeto stand for parade in the nude, acondition that continues to this day. “Theguard told me to stand at parade rest, withmy hands behind my back and my legsspaced shoulder-width apart. I stood atparade rest for about three minutes. The[brig supervisor] and the other guardswalked past my cell. He looked at me,

paused for a moment, then continued tothe next cell. I was incrediblyembarrassed at having all these peoplestare at me naked.”

Manning has been charged withmultiple counts relating to the leaking ofhundreds of thousands of secret USgovernment cables, videos and warlogsfrom Iraq and Afghanistan to WikiLeaks.The charges include “aiding the enemy”,which can carry the death penalty.

The legal letter was addressed to theUS military authorities and was drawn upin response to their recent decision tokeep Manning on a restriction ordercalled Prevention of Injury (PoI). It meanshe is kept in his cell alone for 23 hours aday and checked every five minutes byguards including, if necessary, throughthe night.

The letter contains excerpts from theobservation records kept in the brigwhich consistently report that Manningis “respectful, courteous and wellspoken” and “does not have any suicidalfeelings at this time”.

Sixteen separate entries made from27 August until the records stop on 28January show that Manning wasevaluated by prison psychiatrists whofound he was not a danger to himself andshould be removed from the PoI order.

11 March, 2011

Ed Pilkington is the Guardian's New York

correspondent.

Source: The Guardian

A R T I C L E SI N T E R N A T I O N A L M O V E M E N T F O R A J U S T W O R L D

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CANCER RATE IN FALLUJAH WORSE THAN HIROSHIMABy Tom Eley

The Iraqi city of Fallujah continues tosuffer the ghastly consequences of aUS military onslaught in late 2004.

According to the authors of a newstudy, “Cancer, Infant Mortality andBirth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah, Iraq 2005–2009,” the people of Fallujah areexperiencing higher rates of cancer,leukemia, infant mortality, and sexualmutations than those recorded amongsurvivors in Hiroshima and Nagasakiin the years after those Japanese citieswere incinerated by US atomic bombstrikes in 1945.

The epidemiological study,published in the International Journalof Environmental Studies and PublicHealth (IJERPH), also finds theprevalence of these conditions inFallujah to be many times greater thanin nearby nations.

The assault on Fallujah, a citylocated 43 miles west of Baghdad, wasone of the most horrific war crimesof our time. After the populationresisted the US-led occupation ofIraq—a war of neo-colonial plunderlaunched on the basis of lies—Washington determined to make anexample of the largely Sunni city. Thisis called “exemplary” or “collective”punishment and is, according to thelaws of war, illegal.

The new public health study of thecity now all but proves what has longbeen suspected: that a high proportionof the weaponry used in the assaultcontained depleted uranium, aradioactive substance used in shells toincrease their effectiveness.

In a study of 711 houses and 4,843individuals carried out in January andFebruary 2010, authors Chris Busby,Malak Hamdan, Entesar Ariabi and ateam of researchers found that thecancer rate had increased fourfoldsince before the US attack five yearsago, and that the forms of cancer inFallujah are similar to those foundamong the Hiroshima and Nagasakiatomic bomb survivors, who wereexposed to intense fallout radiation.

In Fallujah the rate of leukemia is38 times higher, the childhood cancer

rate is 12 times higher, and breastcancer is 10 times more common thanin populations in Egypt, Jordan, andKuwait. Heightened levels of adultlymphoma and brain tumors were alsoreported.

At 80 deaths out of every 1,000births, the infant mortality rate inFallujah is more than five times higherthan in Egypt and Jordan, and eighttimes higher than in Kuwait.

Strikingly, after 2005 theproportion of girls born in Fallujah hasincreased sharply. In normalpopulations, 1050 boys are born forevery 1000 girls. But among thoseborn in Fallujah in the four years afterthe US assault, the ratio was reducedto 860 boys for every 1000 femalebirths. This alteration is similar togender ratios found in Hiroshima afterthe US atomic attack of 1945.

The most likely reason for thechange in the sex ratio, according tothe researchers, is the impact of amajor mutagenic event—likely the useof depleted uranium in US weapons.While boys have one X-chromosome,girls have a redundant X-chromosomeand can therefore absorb the loss ofone chromosome through geneticdamage.

“This is an extraordinary andalarming result,” said Busby, aprofessor of molecular biosciences atthe University of Ulster and directorof scientific research for Green Audit,an independent environmental researchgroup. “To produce an effect like this,some very major mutagenic exposuremust have occurred in 2004 when theattacks happened. We need urgentlyto find out what the agent was.Although many suspect uranium, wecannot be certain without furtherresearch and independent analysis ofsamples from the area.”

Busby told an Italian televisionnews station, RAI 24, that the“extraordinary” increase in radiation-related maladies in Fallujah is higherthan that found in the populations ofHiroshima and Nagasaki after the USatomic strikes of 1945. “My guess is

that this was caused by depleteduranium,” he said. “They must beconnected.”

The US military uses depleteduranium, also known as spent nuclearfuel, in armor-piercing shells and bulletsbecause it is twice as dense as lead.Once these shells hit their target,however, as much as 40 percent of theuranium is released in the form of tinyparticles in the area of the explosion.It can remain there for years, easilyentering the human bloodstream, whereit lodges itself in lymph glands andattacks the DNA produced in thesperm and eggs of affected adults,causing, in turn, serious birth defectsin the next generation.

The research is the first systematicscientific substantiation of a body ofevidence showing a sharp increase ininfant mortality, birth defects, andcancer in Fallujah.

In October of 2009, several Iraqiand British doctors wrote a letter tothe United Nations demanding aninquiry into the proliferation ofradiation-related sickness in the city:

“Young women in Fallujah in Iraqare terrified of having children becauseof the increasing number of babiesborn grotesquely deformed, with noheads, two heads, a single eye in theirforeheads, scaly bodies or missinglimbs. In addition, young children inFallujah are now experiencing hideouscancers and leukemias.…

“In September 2009, FallujahGeneral Hospital had 170 newbornbabies, 24 percent of whom were deadwithin the first seven days, a staggering75 percent of the dead babies wereclassified as deformed...

“Doctors in Fallujah havespecifically pointed out that not onlyare they witnessing unprecedentednumbers of birth defects, butpremature births have also considerablyincreased after 2003. But what is morealarming is that doctors in Fallujah havesaid, ‘a significant number of babiesthat do survive begin to develop severedisabilities at a later stage.’” (See:


10


“Sharp rise in birth defects in Iraqi citydestroyed by US military”)

The Pentagon responded to thisreport by asserting that there were nostudies to prove any proliferation ofdeformities or other maladiesassociated with US military actions.“No studies to date have indicatedenvironmental issues resulting inspecific health issues,” a DefenseDepartment spokesman told the BBCin March. There have been no studies,however, in large part becauseWashington and its puppet Baghdadregime have blocked them.

According to the authors of“Cancer, Infant Mortality and BirthSex-Ratio in Fallujah,” the Iraqiauthorities attempted to scuttle theirsurvey. “[S]hortly after thequestionnaire survey was completed,Iraqi TV reportedly broadcast that aquestionnaire survey was being carriedout by terrorists and that anyone whowas answering or administering thequestionnaire could be arrested,” thestudy reports.

The history of the atrocitycommitted by American imperialismagainst the people of Fallujah began onApril 28, 2003, when US Army soldiersfired indiscriminately into a crowd ofabout 200 residents protesting theconversion of a local school into a USmilitary base. Seventeen were killed inthe unprovoked attack, and two dayslater American soldiers fired on aprotest against the murders, killing twomore.

This intensified popular anger, andFallujah became a center of the Sunniresistance against the occupation—andUS reprisals. On March 31, 2004, anangry crowd stopped a convoy of theprivate security firm Blackwater USA,responsible for its own share of warcrimes. Four Blackwater mercenarieswere dragged from their vehicles,beaten, burned, and hung from a bridgeover the Euphrates River.

The US military then promised itwould pacify the city, with oneunnamed officer saying it would beturned into “a killing field,” butOperation Vigilant Resolve, involvingthousands of Marines, ended in the

abandonment of the siege by the USmilitary in May, 2004. The victory ofFallujah’s residents againstoverwhelming military superiority wascelebrated throughout Iraq andwatched all over the world.

The Pentagon delivered its responsein November 2004. The city wassurrounded, and all those left insidewere declared to be enemy combatantsand fair game for the most heavilyequipped killing machine in worldhistory. The Associated Press reportedthat men attempting to flee the citywith their families were turned backinto the slaughterhouse.

In the attack, the US made heavyuse of the chemical agent whitephosphorus. Ostensibly used only forilluminating battlefields, whitephosphorus causes terrible and oftenfatal wounds, burning its way throughbuilding material and clothing beforeeating away skin and then bone. Thechemical was also used to suck theoxygen out of buildings where civilianswere hiding.

Washington’s desire for revengeagainst the population is indicated bythe fact that the US military reportedabout the same number of “gunmen”killed (1,400) as those taken alive asprisoners (1,300-1,500). In oneinstance, NBC News captured videofootage of a US soldier executing awounded and helpless Iraqi man. ANavy investigation later found theMarine had been acting in self-defense.

51 US soldiers died in 10 days ofcombat. The true number of cityresidents who were killed is not known.The city’s population before the attackwas estimated to be between 425,000and 600,000. The current populationis believed to be between 250,000 and300,000. Tens of thousands, mostlywomen and children, fled in advanceof the attack. Half of the city’sbuildings were destroyed, most ofthese reduced to rubble.

Like much of Iraq, Fallujah remainsin ruins. According to a recent reportfrom IRIN, a project of the UN Officefor the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs, Fallujah still has no functioningsewage system six years after theattack. “Waste pours onto the streets

and seeps into drinking water supplies,”the report notes. “Abdul-SattarKadhum al-Nawaf, director of Fallujahgeneral hospital, said the sewageproblem had taken its toll on residents’health. They were increasinglyaffected by diarrhoea, tuberculosis,typhoid and other communicablediseases.”

The savagery of the US assaultshocked the world, and added thename Fallujah to an infamous list thatincludes My Lai, Sabra-Shatila,Guérnica, Nanking, Lidice, andWounded Knee.

But unlike those other massacres,the crime against Fallujah did not endwhen the bullets were no longer firedor the bombs stopped falling.

The US military’s decision toheavily deploy depleted uranium, all butproven by “Cancer, Infant Mortalityand Birth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah,” wasa wanton act of brutality, poisoning anentire generation of children not yetborn in 2004.

The Fallujah study is timely, withthe US now preparing a majorescalation of the violence inAfghanistan. The former head of USAfghanistan operations, GeneralStanley McChrystal, was replaced lastmonth after a media campaign, assistedby a Rolling Stone magazine feature,accused him, among other things, oftying the hands of US soldiers in theirresponse to Afghan insurgents.

McChrystal was replaced byGeneral David Petraeus, formerly headof the US Central Command. Petraeushas outlined new rules of engagementdesigned to allow for the use ofdisproportionate force againstsuspected militants.

Petraeus, in turn, was replaced atCentral Command by General James“Mad Dog” Mattis, who played a keyplanning role in the US assault onFallujah in 2004. Mattis revels in killing,telling a public gathering in 2005 “it’sfun to shoot some people.... You know,it’s a hell of a hoot.”

23 July, 2010

Tom Eley is a writer for World Socialist

Website (WSWS.org)

Source: WSWS.org


11

REFLECTING ON CAMBODIA’S NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNINGBy Emma Leslie

The Water Festival is a time of greatcelebration in Cambodia. It is alwayscelebrated around November but the datesare dependent on the moon. Some say it’s achance to honour the rivers which replenishthe soil for the harvest. Others say it’s tohonour the spirits which make the riverchange direction miraculously and flow in theother direction. Mostly it’s the time wherethe people from Cambodia’s countryside takeover the capital! Phnom Penh is theirs. Theysleep along the streets, they cheer on the boatof their district, they stay up all night andenjoy the myriad of free entertainment fromfireworks to concerts and traditional dancing.It’s a grand celebration of life!

The development of a new island inthe river, accessed through such a beautifulbridge decorated with a Naga snake, was thisyear such a focal point for the celebration. Somany went to Diamond Island over theholiday period for the trade show, the funpark, the free concerts, the displays andbecause so many other people were there tosee! Such a focal point of joy and happiness,amongst Cambodia’s rural poor.

And therein lies the tragedy. Thosethat died on the bridge on November 22 werehardly Cambodia’s wealthy. They were yetagain the poorest of the poor. Garment factoryworkers, usually young women out for a goodtime. Sisters from a tiny village disobeyingtheir mother and running to the capital to jointhe fun. They were slum dwellers from anearby slum soon to be demolished. Theywere moto-dop drivers, garbage collectors,market sellers, rice farmers. And now 395such people lay dead in the height of thecelebrations.

No doubt there will much discussionand debate by NGOs and human rights groupsin weeks to come. How the government couldhave protected them. How safety standardsare not enforced. But this is not the day forsuch recriminations. Today a prime ministerweeps openly with his people, and the streetsare silent. Outside every home, along everystreet, there are the traditional offerings,candles and incense for those who havepassed. TV channels read the names of thosewho have died, replay the footage of thatfateful night and update the death toll hour tohour.

It is hard to watch the images withoutcomparing them to so many of the imageslong associated with Cambodia. It is not apublicity stunt that so many of thoseinterviewed by the media, including Hun Sen’saddress to the nation, refer back to the KhmerRouge years. Not since then has there beensuch a tragedy in our history, they say. Onewoman wept, I lost everyone to the KhmerRouge, and now I lost my son in thisstampede. Who will take care of me now?

Over the past decade the international

community has tried hard to persuadeCambodia that an international tribunal wasnecessary to heal Cambodia’s past, toreconcile the nation, to bring closure. To datethe tribunal has seemed an alien legal process,far the from reality of everyday lives andcertainly not a mechanism for healing deepseated pains and loss.

But the events of the past few dayshave felt very different. In every restaurant,in every market, along the street – people goabout their business slowly and silently.People watch tv screens in breakfast shopsand cry openly. On Wednesday I watched amilitary truck slowly make its way down theMonivong, the main road through PhnomPenh, filled with coffins. As it passed shopsand houses, guards, pedestrians, passersby,all stood, almost to attention, to pay respectand honour those nameless corpses going by.

I drove past the hospital and foundpeople giving out water to the many peoplecamped out there trying to find their familymembers. A huge billboard displayed theunidentified people still in the hospital, andpeople clamber over each other to see if theycan find their own.

While this has been a deep and greattragedy for Cambodia, something else is goingon here. This country has become united inits grief. People are coming together to putright, something which was very wrong. Theyare standing together to mourn their countrypeople, fully aware that those who died werethe least among them, and now deserve thehighest honour for their tragic end. And ofcourse all of us looking on wonder how theycan bear more suffering, more grief and morepain.

The late Maha Ghosananda,Cambodia’s peace monk often chanted:

The suffering of Cambodia has been deep.From this suffering comes great

Compassion.Great Compassion makes a Peaceful

Heart.A Peaceful Heart makes a Peaceful Person.

A Peaceful Person makes a PeacefulCommunity.

A Peaceful Community makes a PeacefulNation.

And a Peaceful Nation makes a PeacefulWorld.

May all beings live in Happiness andPeace.

Perhaps Maha understood that it isthe yoke Cambodians must bear on behalf ofus all. People who come to Cambodia oftencomment of the smiles of the children, thehappiness of the people. They marvel at thesense of fun, and joy in simple pleasures.

They speak of the open hearted wayCambodians welcome them, embrace them and

befriend them. Perhaps this is what Mahaspeaks of – the joy that is born of suffering.

Perhaps Cambodia suffers so muchso that compassion can be.

For the past 48 hours Cambodiantelevision channels have received donationsfrom around the country for the victims’families and the injured survivors. No amountis too small to announce on the televisionrecognising the contributions of even thepoorest people. From this suffering comesgreat compassion.

One boy told of a man who saw himtrapped under the feet of the people on thebridge. He bent down and lifted the boy upand put him on his shoulders so he was abovethe crowd. Later the boy realised he was ridingon the shoulders of a dead man. From thissuffering comes great compassion.

What we learn through the events ofthe past few days is that sense of nationalidentity and reconciled togetherness cannotcome from outside. It comes from the sharedsuffering, losses in histories and processeswhich people experience for themselves. Inmany South East Asian nations those sharedhistories are days of liberation, celebratinganti-colonial struggles and the pride of selfdetermination.

Cambodia has no such day ofcelebration or national unity. Cambodia’sunity seems always to come through hersuffering. Piles of shoes belonging to thedeceased – in the Khmer Rouge years andagain today. The mass graves of the KillingFields, parallel to lines of bodies along theriver bank of the past two days.

Today is Cambodia’s National Dayof Mourning. Today, one after anotherCambodians are laying flowers and burningincense at the fateful bridge. This is their time,when they stand together as a nation andgrieve. This is not just grief for those whodied in this incident. This is truly a NationalDay of Mourning for all the suffering theyhave endured. This is the time they rally andunite to put right something which went verywrong. This is their moment of national unity.This is the suffering they bear, from whichcompassion is born. As a prime minister weepswith his people, Maha’s words echo overthis timeless land;

“Our journey for peace begins today andevery day”. Each step is a prayer, each step

is a meditation, each step will build abridge.”

Ironic, yet true. Cambodians will wipetheir tears, and continue to build their nation,heal their hearts and show great compassion.

Not just to each other, but to the world.Phnom Penh,

25 November, 2010

Emma Leslie is a social activist and writer.

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