Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal

 

AM - Tuesday, 8 January, 2008 08:21:00

Reporter: Stephanie Kennedy

 

TONY EASTLEY: Liberia's former president, Charles Taylor, rose to power through a bloody civil war, and he'll be further remembered for plunging his country into economic ruin in the early 1990s.

Now, he's set a new mark. Taylor is the first African head of state to appear before an international war crimes tribunal.

He's accused of backing the rebels in a civil war in neighbouring Sierra Leone and he's facing charges of murder, rape, enslavement and conscripting child soldiers.

The 59-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Stephanie Kennedy reports on the historic trial in The Hague that's resumed after a six month delay.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Just over a decade ago, Charles Taylor came to power promising his country peace and prosperity.

CHARLES TAYLOR: Charles Taylor is about progress, peace, and Charles Taylor is about moving this country back into the world community of nations.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: But six years later, under international pressure, the Liberian president was forced to resign.

CHARLES TAYLOR: I can no longer see you suffer, the suffering is enough, for you are good people. You have been very good to me through the grace of God, and I love you from the bottom of my heart.

I will always remember you wherever I am, and I say to you, God willing, I will be back.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Mr Taylor now stands accused of terrorising the people of neighbouring Sierra Leone by orchestrating atrocities committed by the rebels.

 

These militias hacked off the limbs of thousands

of people during the country's 10 year civil war that ended in 2003.

Jabati Mambu is one of those victims.

JABATI MAMBU: They went into our house, dragged me under the bed, you know, threw me outside, and they asked that they should cut my hands off. Then I said, "Well, instead I should join you." They said "No," and one of the guys, the commander, commanded a 12-year-old boy, and the guy came with an axe, and that was what they used to chop my right hand off.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Prosecutors allege that Charles Taylor armed, trained and controlled Sierra Leone's revolutionary rebels in exchange for blood diamonds.

The chief prosecutor at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is Stephen Rapp, and he acknowledges that this case is a difficult one to prove.

STEPHEN RAPP: We recognise that that's our challenge. We don't allege that Charles Taylor ever crossed the border into Sierra Leone, or that he chopped off anybody's hand himself, or raped anybody on the streets of Freetown.

But we have a challenge and we are going to meet that with a variety of witnesses from the inside. There are people that are quite close to him, there are people that further away from him that, nonetheless, hear communications or are privy to the orders that he has provided, or who observe his key lieutenants in the field in Sierra Leone giving orders, or providing material.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The trial is being broadcast live to Freetown, and the public has been invited to watch.

This is Stephanie Kennedy reporting for AM.

 

 

TAPESCRIPT 2

Ellison canvasses forcing Papuan boats back to Indonesia

AM - Saturday, 8 April, 2006 08:05:01

Reporter: Peter Mares

 

ELIZABETH JACKSON: The Federal Minister for Customs and Justice, Senator Chris Ellison, has canvassed the possibility of forcing boats carrying Papuan asylum seekers back to Indonesia.

After the Tampa affair in 2001, the navy forced several boats carrying Middle Eastern asylum seekers back to Indonesian waters.

Senator Ellison told ABC Radio National that Government's policy hasn't changed.

Peter Mares asked him if boats carrying West Papuans would be forced back to Indonesia.

CHRIS ELLISON: Well it will depend on the circumstances in which we intercept these people, but certainly they will be dealt with as we would deal with any other attempts at illegal entrance into Australia.

And of course we've put in place measures for dealing with people who try to enter our country illegally. And you've seen what we've done in the past and our policy has not changed.

PETER MARES: You've said that Papuan asylum seekers are no different to any other boat people, but that's not the case is it.

I mean, these are Indonesian nationals fleeing directly from Indonesia. They're not like Afghans or Iraqis who are coming through another country.

CHRIS ELLISON: Well of course when we dealt with the people smuggling issues before, we didn't know where those people came from at the time. Subsequently of course we verified that, but when we come upon a boatload of people who are trying to enter Australia illegally we don't have the benefit of knowing their background, what their case is or why they're there. All we are presented with is an attempt to enter Australia illegally.

Now, of course, we have measures for dealing with that, and of course our policy is also very well known and we will maintain that policy.

PETER MARES: You accept that forcing a refugee back to a place of persecution is a breach of international law?

CHRIS ELLISON: Look, I think that the international law that we're upholding is our sovereignty in that we're maintaining our borders.

As the Minister for Customs and Justice I have responsibility for border control, and that is to safeguard our borders against illegal fishing, illegal entrance, security risks and anything else which might pose a risk to this country including quarantine.

Now that is a right we have to maintain and that is our sovereignty as a nation and our sovereign waters.

PETER MARES: Australia is a signatory to the International Convention on Refugees. Do you accept that forcing a refugee back to a place of persecution breaches that convention and is a breach of international law?

CHRIS ELLISON: When we're faced with a boatload of people, they don't come with a sign saying, "These Are Refugees". When we're presented with that situation on the water, we don't know who they are; we don't know their background.
 
They might say they're refugees, they might say they're all sorts of things but I have to tell you that we're primarily charged with looking out for Australia's sovereignty and security. And that means that we intercept people who are trying to enter this country illegally and that could involve a number of measures which would be determined at the time by authorities who are engaging in the process of looking after our borders.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: The Minister for Justice and Customs Chris Ellison.
 And you can hear the full interview with Senator Ellison on The National Interest with Peter Mares at midday on Sunday on ABC Radio National.

 

 

 

TAPESCRIPT 3