(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday): DAP calls for an all-party roundtable conference to condemn
US opposition to the International Criminal Court and veto in the Security
Council to extend the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia as a threat to all UN
peacekeeping forces.
Malaysia is to become the Chairman of the Non-Aligned
Conference as well as Chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC)
from next year, and DAP is dismayed that Malaysia has not taken the first
opportunity yesterday to be the conscience of the international community to
condemn the irresponsible and unilateralist action of the US Bush Administration
which threaten international peace
and stability as a result of its
veto to renew the UN
peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and the attempt to wreck the operations of the
International Criminal Court in the Hague.
The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar should
ensure that Malaysia take a high-profile stand to speak up for world opinion and
in particular for non-aligned nations and Islamic countries
to demand that the United States Government reconsider its unilateralist
veto in opposing the united stand of 14 members of the United Nations Security
Council to renew the UN peacekeeping mandate in Bosnia, as this could jeopardize
all UN peacekeeping operations elsewhere, such as in Kosovo and East Timor.
The Cabinet tomorrow should have the foresight and vision to take the policy decision for Malaysia to ratify the 1998 Rome Treaty on the establishment of the International Criminal Court to usher in a new international order where the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes can be prosecuted when individual states are unable and unwilling to bring them to justice.
(2/7/2002)