Friday, August 03, 2007

Genocide

Oxford Dictionary define Genocide as a deliberate and systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group. The detail definition of genocide was only exist in 1944, the post World War 2 in Europe after the German defeated. You can be read in here. Genocide is a problem that exists since the birth of human civilization. The historical great war happened in past such as the Genghis Khan War, The Three Kingdom War, Holy War and Modern World War have a connection to genocide even thou this statement is not historical and political correct.

Only three events were directed to genocide. First the World War 2 in Germany, The Bosnian War of Yugoslavia and The Civil Rwandan War between Tutsi and Hutu. Holocaust in Germany kill estimate 11 million victim, mostly the Jews and others
Other groups were persecuted and killed by the regime, including the Roma, Soviet POWs, disabled people, gay men, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholic Poles, and political prisoners. Many scholars do not include these groups in the definition of the Holocaust, defining it as the genocide of the Jews,[5] or what the Nazis called the "Final Solution of the Jewish Question." Taking into account all the victims of Nazi persecution, the death toll rises considerably: estimates generally place the total number of victims at nine to 11 million.

Wikipedia: Holocaust

After the end of the World War 2 and Holocaust, the Nuremberg Trials begin to prosecution of prominent members of the political, military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was created after the Bosnian Genocide and Serbrenica Masscare. Rwandan Civil War shows us even with previous genocide and the creation of International Crime Tribunal, it can easily happen again without any prevention action against it from the United Nation.
In the US, President Bill Clinton and US Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright refused to take action. Clinton and Albright would both later express regret for their inaction. President Clinton provided major funding for the Rwandan genocide memorial in Kigali, and visited Rwanda in 1998 and 2005. He apologised both times, and "expressed regret for what he says was his 'personal failure' to prevent the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 people there in 1994." He has attempted amends by sponsoring initiatives to help rebuild Rwanda through the Clinton Foundation.

Wikipedia: Rwandan Genocide

According to Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, President of Genocide Watch, genocide develops in eight stages that are predictable but not inexorable. At each stage, preventive and measurement can stop it. The later stage must be preceded by the earlier stage, thou earlier stages continue to operate throughout the process. The stages are classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, identification, extermination and denial.

Genocide can happen anywhere now days. It believe to happen in the Conflict of Dafur. Genocide is a natural disaster that waiting to happen if condition and the stages of genocide fit in perfectly. Malaysia by chances is an ideal condition of disaster waiting to happen with all the differences we have. The secularity of Malaysia is the main issue the divided us clearly. The popularity of the Middle East issue from the Israel Palestinian Conflict and American Iraq War gain support to the extremist Islam fundamentalist. The division between the moderate and extremist society is an ideal ingredient thou most not likely will create small scale massacre that will lead to big genocide event.

Religion believes difference is not new to us. It happened during the sequence of the Crusade War. Social economic differences can be seen nearer to us in Jakarta Riot of May 1998 where the most of the Chinese claim to be targeted. Malaysia’s earlier version of May 13 Incident was not as bad as the Jakarta Riot but still can be defined as a massacre. Malaysia was spared from its own version of Indonesia Revolution changes because of the stability of the nation and inadequate reason to do so.

The 50th Independent Celebration of Malaysia is fill with differences. Historically, the Peninsular Malaya get its independent from the British on 1957. Malaysia Federation was created on 1963. The question right now, what is the significant of this 50th celebration to the other two important states that is Sabah and Sarawak. Even thou the differences is not important to who live and stay in peninsular, the people Sabah and Sarawak are misguided to think we're directly got independent 50 years ago and the historical fact tell us Tunku Abdul Rahman and others delegates whom travel to Britain include Sabah and Sarawak in the discussion of self govern nation. Instead, September 16, 1963 is the right date to celebrate the National Day and the most significant date in Malaysia history.

Although the difference is not important to most Malaysian, it still can change to a greater problem in future. Today, we experience in lots of differences, from religious to political and social differences. What we can only hope that the leader of this fragile nation can see the wisdom over anything that done and planning to do. One small wrong decision can lead to a greater problem and might be into genocide scale of conflict.

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