Lest We Forget

By


Collective memory is a curious thing. Just weeks after rampant abuses of human rights were screened worldwide from Burma, it seems that the plight of the Burmese people has slipped out of the world's collective conscience. Le Monde reports today on the visit of the UN emissary on human rights to Burma. Perhaps it would be over optimistic to hope that this visit will have any immediate impact or ascertain the facts of the extent of abuse with any degree of certainty. However, it is commendable that the UN is using its good offices to ensure that the world does not forget the human toll of contemporary breaches of international law.

Comments

Unknown said…
I'm not sure I can share your optimism, as this is the second visit by Ibrahim Gambari since September and Ban Ki-Moon, the UN chief has stated "I'm concerned at this time about the lack of progress." The monks and student demonstrators are still imprisoned.

I'm not sure if its a loss of collective memory (?) or a case of other bigger international problems. Nuclear-power Pakistan seems to have exceeded the abuses of the Burmese ruling junta. It's not often one has cause to feel pride in the legal profession but the actions of the Pakistani Supreme Court Chief Justice and the demonstrating lawyers are such an occasion.
11 November 2007 at 10:56
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Constitutional Right to Female Sexual Pleasure?

By
Although a right to “sexual pleasure” usually does not fare among traditional rights enshrined in constitutions, such a right was nevertheless proposed by a female member of the Ecuadorian parliament when debating a forthcoming new constitution. Reuters report that the idea behind the proposal was to facilitate gender equality and to avoid sexual violence. Ultimately, however, and in spite of this noble cause, the proposal failed.
Read more

Movie: HOT FUZZ

By
Image
On Wed, 7 th October at 7pm in Taylor A19 the Legal Research Society will present its first movie night of this academic year with a screening of the film HOT FUZZ, a British action comedy with a huge portion of irony and black humour about the bigotry, hypocrisy and intrigues set in an (superficially) idyllic small town in Britain… Synopsis Sgt Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is a fiercely motivated and successful London copper who finds himself transferred to the sleepy town of Sandford . Almost everyone in this manicured little community seems to know and love each other. But if Sandford is a sleepy market town, it is home to some very real nightmares. Not that local coppers like loveable oaf Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) see anything suspicious about Sandford's absurd number of 'accidents'. Angel is no ordinary constable and launches an investigation, much to the amusement of his bumbling boss and his colleagues. Critics “Refreshingly British come
Read more

Head of State: Legal Debat About The UK's Election. Legal Research Society. 22 April 2010

By
Image
Head of State: Legal Discussion About The UK Election. Legal Research Society. 22 April 2010 There is a general feeling that the recent debate in Britain between the main party leaders was rather staid compared to the more theatrical style of the U.S Presidential debate on which it was modelled. Perhaps the British electorate would prefer the plain-spoken, tell-it-like-it-is politics of Chris Rock's prescient spoof of the U.S Presidential election. "Head of State" starts Chris Rock as an unlikely democratic for the presidency of the United State, who goes on to win over the electorate by shunning the political point-scoring and spin employed by other candidates and speaking forthrightly about issues that really concern people. Could such a tactic work for the political underdog in Britain. The screening of this sassy political satire was followed by a discussion of the recent and the forthcoming political debate in Britain, as well as the General Election that w
Read more