Tuesday 28 August 2007

Human Rights once again...

I can't believe my ears sometimes, the fact that some nut-jobs in government are still allowed their posts baffles me, they are so backward and bent in their way of thinking, allow me to expand on their latest epiphany.

It is now going to be classed as "Against their Human Rights" to hold DANGEROUS prisoners after their original sentence, even if they are considered dangerous. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it, even freakin slightly, against MY human rights to set a dangerous prisoner free into the populace? I mean, what possible angle is the MP who thought this crap up coming from? Has he got a dangerous criminal brother being held behind bars or something, and he came up with this to get him out? I mean, WHAT?

I have to say, the PC/ Human Rights brigade are REALLY starting to get to me. I swear if you havent read George Orwell's 1984, you need to. It is not long before you will not be allowed to express your own opinion without being imprisoned for annoying someone who has a different one.

I hate this Government.

Wednesday 1 August 2007

UN-AU Peacekeepers...

I was glad to hear that the UN finally stood up today and put forward a joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping force for the Sudan. However, I still have reservations and I think they are not doing enough. Allow me to elaborate...

First and foremost, although it will be the largest peace-keeping force in the world, it will not be large enough. For those of you looking for facts and figures, allow me to save you googling them...

Fact: The UN-AU force will be 26,000 strong.
Fact: Over 2 Million people are already homeless refugees
Fact: At least (UN estimates are extremely conservative) 200,000 people are already known to have died in the last 4 years of conflict.
Fact: The first peace keepers will not arrive until october
Fact: The Sudanese government have been accused but not tried for War Crimes against their Black Population
Fact: It will cost the UN $2Billion/year to keep the force there.
Fact: They will not be able to shoot militants unless fired upon first or forced to protect civilians from being fired upon.
Fact: They will not have the power to seize unlicenced firearms and illegal weapons of any sort.
Fact: Only one actual "Peace" agreement has been signed, and that was only by two of four warring factions in the Sudanese Capital, Khartoum.
Fact: China actually has a veto over UN action in Africa, and nearly didn't pledge its support.

Basically, I think that if the UNAMID (United Nations and African unions Mission In Darfur) is going to be a success, it will require a few months of talks and negotiations, or there will not be a peace to keep. Too many people have already lost so much that a peace keeping force which is going to antagonise the militia and the government will do nothing but exacerbate the situation and require even more troops etc to be committed.

Again, let me stress that I am extremely glad the UN has finally acted, and I hope it is a good decision. I also hope that it is made for sound reasons, has a sound outcome and allows the people of the Sudan to build themselves back up and turn their countries fortunes around.

I just hope it works.