Foreign Digest: Serbia, Nepal and Russia

Serbia’s Prosecution of War Criminals

Serbia is prosecuting several Bosnian Serbs for the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre, the worst crime against humanity in Europe since the Second World War, in which the Bosnian Serbs, supported by Serbia-dominated Yugoslavia, rounded up and killed thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys during the Bosnian Civil War.

 The war was one of several that resulted from the nationalist policies of Communist Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic that resulted in the breakup of Yugoslavia into its subdivisions, which were mostly ethnically based.  Serbia later became an independent state after the total disintegration of Yugoslavia.  Serbia, which is seeking greater integration with Europe, hopes to show the European Union through Serbian prosecutions for crimes against humanity from the Yugoslav civil wars that it has reformed itself and is committed to justice and respecting the rights of minorities.  It is hoped that Serbia’s commitment is sincere.

Nepal’s Adoption of a New Constitution

After a long and difficult process, Nepal’s Government has approved a controversial constitution that makes it a federation of seven secular states, based upon ethnic concentrations, each with its own republican legislature, with a parliamentary republican central government.  The Nepalese Constitution is secular, liberal (i.e. it includes safeguards for liberty), inclusive and respectful of the rights of women and various minorities.  Some ethnic groups objected to the drawing of the boundaries of these states or their lack of inclusion, while some Hindus wanted Nepal to declare itself a Hindu state, as it had been a few years ago under its monarchy.  Some of the concerns of the ethnic groups are expected to be addressed soon in constitutional amendments.

Nepal is led by a grand coalition government that includes both liberal, secular republicans and Leninist Communists.  After a civil war in which Maoist Communist rebels made significant territorial gains, the Nepalese Government agreed as part of a peace deal to end the monarchy; it established a republic in 2008.  The secular, liberal republican, Leninist Communist and Maoist Communist parties were unable to gain dominance in parliamentary elections while the Constitution was being drafted.  Despite their divisions, they were nevertheless all able to cooperate, with some support from ethnic parties, in the drafting of the Constitution.

I commend Nepal for its achievement.  May it enjoy peace, liberty, representative government, respect for minorities and prosperity.

Russian Federation’s State Sponsorship of Terrorism

           The Russian Federation’s military is now supporting the tyrannical regime of Syrian Dictator Bashar Assad.  Syria sponsors the Palestinian terrorists Hamas, the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorists, Hezbollah, and other terrorists through harboring or financing these organizations.  In addition to its own direct sponsorship efforts, Assad’s Syrian regime acts as a conduit of support for terrorists on behalf of its major ally Iran, the chief sponsor of terrorism in the world.  Thus, Communist Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin’s regime is providing material support to terrorists, which meets the definition of sponsoring terrorism.  Therefore, the United States Department of State should list the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism and the U.S. should subject it to the relevant economic sanctions.