No civilised nation would stand beside war criminals: Dipu Moni
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said Saturday not a single civilised nation across the world would stand beside the war criminals going to face trial for the crimes against humanity they had committed during the Bangladesh Liberation War 1971, reports UNB.
She made the observation to reporters who asked whether the Awami League government would face any reservation from any external forces over the move towards staging the war-crime trial.
"I feel any civilized nation in the world cannot take sides with the war criminals," she said after addressing a seminar on Bangladesh's foreign policy at Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.
The foreign minister said one of the major election pledges of Awami League was to hold trial of the 1971 war criminals and the government had sought external assistance through the United Nations (UN) as the process now got going.
She said the government would also consider experiences of other countries about this matter and "we will definitely maintain the international standards and due process will be followed."
Asked whether the government had plans to sign any deal to bring back those perpetrators who were absconding abroad, the minister said the government would make the move, if needed.
"We will conduct the trial following the International Crimes [Tribunals] Act of 1973," Dipu Moni said.
Asked how the government would prove the local collaborators as auxiliary forces of the Pakistani army if Islamabad did not assist Dhaka, she said, "We have sufficient evidence that those [local collaborators] are auxiliary forces of Pakistan occupation forces."
She made the observation to reporters who asked whether the Awami League government would face any reservation from any external forces over the move towards staging the war-crime trial.
"I feel any civilized nation in the world cannot take sides with the war criminals," she said after addressing a seminar on Bangladesh's foreign policy at Bangladesh Enterprise Institute.
The foreign minister said one of the major election pledges of Awami League was to hold trial of the 1971 war criminals and the government had sought external assistance through the United Nations (UN) as the process now got going.
She said the government would also consider experiences of other countries about this matter and "we will definitely maintain the international standards and due process will be followed."
Asked whether the government had plans to sign any deal to bring back those perpetrators who were absconding abroad, the minister said the government would make the move, if needed.
"We will conduct the trial following the International Crimes [Tribunals] Act of 1973," Dipu Moni said.
Asked how the government would prove the local collaborators as auxiliary forces of the Pakistani army if Islamabad did not assist Dhaka, she said, "We have sufficient evidence that those [local collaborators] are auxiliary forces of Pakistan occupation forces."