第3巻第4章 バートランド・ラッセル平和財団
この国際法廷が最初,残虐行為を調査するため法廷メンバーの中から選んだ調査団を派遣しようと提案した時,アメリカ側には残虐行為はまったくないという理由でその提案は冷ややかに一笑に付された。その議論が高まると,米軍当局が調査するだろう,との発言がなされた。(また)こうした議論が高まると,そのような調査を行えば(ラッセル法廷の)権威ある著名な法律家たちが物笑いの種になるだろう,との主張がなされた。残虐行為を罰しない方がはるかに良い,という議論が行なわれた。新聞や軍当局及び米英の多くの著名の法律家たちは,彼らの栄誉や人間性は,ニュルンベルグ裁判で採択された原則を適用するよりも士官(将校)たちにヴェトナムの婦人や子供たちを焼き殺させた方がより満たされると考えている(ようである)。これはヒットラーの遺産を受け継ぐことである。 |
v.3,chap.4: Foundation In the summer of 1966, after extensive study and planning, I wrote to a number of people around the world, inviting them to join an International War Crimes Tribunal. The response heartened me, and soon I had received about eighteen acceptances. I was especially pleased to be joined by Jean-Paul Sartre, for despite our differences on philosophical questions I much admired his courage. Vladimir Dedijer, the Yugoslav writer, had visited me earlier in Wales, and through his wide knowledge of both the Western and Communist worlds proved a valuable ally. I also came to rely heavily on Isaac Deutscher, the essayist and political writers whom I had not seen for ten years. Whenever there were too many requests for television and other interviews about the Tribunal, I could rely on Deutscher in London to meet the press and give an informed and convincing assessment of world affairs and of our own work. I invited all the members to London for preliminary discussions in November, 1966, and opened the proceedings with a speech to be found at the end of this chapter. It seemed to me essential that what happening in Vietnam should be examined with scrupulous care, and I had invited only people whose integrity was beyond question. The meeting was highly successful, and we arranged to hold the public sessions of the Tribunal over many weeks in the following year, after first sending a series of international teams to Indo-China on behalf of the Tribunal itself. When the Tribunal first proposed to send a selection of its members to investigate atrocities, the proposal was ridiculed on the ground that there were no atrocities on the American side. When this contention was shown up, it was said that American military authorities would deal with this. When this was shown up, it was said that eminent legal authorities made themselves a laughing-stock by undertaking such work. Far better, it was argued, to let the atrocities go unpunished. The Press, the military authorities, and many of the American and British legal luminaries, consider that their honour and humanity will be better served by allowing their officers to burn women and children to death than by adopting the standards applied in the Nuremberg Trials. This comes of accepting Hitler's legacy. |
(掲載日:2010.6.9/更新日:2012.8.29)