Human Rights Imperialism

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On 8 September 2011, Sir William Gage published his report based on the Baha Mousa inquiry. The Inquiry found that Baha Mousa had died after suffering an “appalling episode of serious gratuitous violence.”  The Inquiry further found that many officers of the British army were responsible for this violence and that the battalion knew of what had taken place, but failed to report.

 

It has taken a long time for the family of Baha Mousa to feel any sense of justice after the wanton murder of their son. This is not however, without major efforts by the UK government to hinder the efforts of the Inquiry. They even went as far as to claim in another case, Al Skeini v United Kingdom, that the European Convention on Human Rights could not be applied in Iraq, as it would be tantamount to Human Rights imperialism. Fortunately, the Judge Bannello in that case rebutted the preposterous claim by the UK,

 

“37. I confess to be quite unimpressed by the pleadings of the United Kingdom Government to the effect that exporting the European Convention on Human Rights to Iraq would have amounted to “human rights imperialism”. It ill behoves a State that imposed its military imperialism over another sovereign State without the frailest imprimatur from the international community, to resent the charge of having exported human rights imperialism to the vanquished enemy. It is like wearing with conceit your badge of international law banditry, but then recoiling in shock at being suspected of human rights promotion.

 

38. Personally, I would have respected better these virginal blushes of some statesmen had they worn them the other way round. Being bountiful with military imperialism but bashful of the stigma of human rights imperialism, sounds to me like not resisting sufficiently the urge to frequent the lower neighbourhoods of political inconstancy. For my part, I believe that those who export war ought to see to the parallel export of guarantees against the atrocities of war. And then, if necessary, bear with some fortitude the opprobrium of being labelled human rights imperialists.

 

39. I, for one, advertise my diversity. At my age, it may no longer be elegant to have dreams. But that of being branded in perpetuity a human rights imperialist, I acknowledge sounds to me particularly seductive.”

 

The judgement sums up well the entire approach that has been taken by the UK government and its institutions in the Army and security agencies, that justice is not about finding the truth, but rather about using whatever means necessary to conceal it. The family of Baha Mousa must be commended for their brave stance and having fought for so many years to bring about this result, but unfortunately it is has not been due to any help given by the UK government. With so many resources being expended on concealing the reality of abuse by British agencies, one can only wonder to what extent they have taken place. 

   The article is taken from the website www.cageprisoners.com