Return of the people's tribunal

English > In-depth > Culture and history

by Michele Ernsting

27-04-2004

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

The British philosopher Bertrand Russell initiated the first international people's tribunal in the 1960s to determine whether war crimes were being committed by the US and its allies during the Vietnam War. Now a similar gathering has been held to query the US-led occupation of Iraq.

The goal of Russell's tribunal – which was held in 1967 in Sweden and Denmark - was to raise public awareness of the atrocities being committed in Vietnam. It did so by bringing together well-known critics from around the world, such as Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and Vietnamese witnesses.

Ken Coates helped organize that first tribunal and currently heads the Bertrand Russell Peace foundation.

"There was a very eager following for the tribunal among the young generation. The major press filtered news of the tribunal through a heavy fog of scepticism. That didn't make any difference because people's ears pricked up when the news came through on the major media that the tribunal, far from being a fanciful exercise, was actually reflecting very seriously on what was happening in Vietnam. That delayed effect really made the tribunal important."

Listen to the full documentary, as featured on Radio Netherlands. (29.30)

The recent BRussells Tribunal brought together academics, intellectuals, artists and Iraqi citizens to present testimony on the current US-led war in Iraq. It also tried to evaluate to what extent the policies of the neo-conservative think-tank The Project for a New American Century influenced the American decision to go to war. Members of the think-tank were invited to defend its policies but did not acknowledge the tribunal.

Mock-up
While the tribunal adopts the framework of a legal process it has no juridical power. Karen Parker - an attorney who has contributed to the evolution of UN humanitarian and human rights law - acted as chief prosecutor.

"This is a mock tribunal but it doesn't mean it can't play a very important role. It is using the law to the extent that it puts facts side by side with law and asks 'is there a violation or not?' There's an international legal ruling that says 'at all times combatants and civilians are protected by principles of law of civilized countries, principles of humanity, and the dictates of the public conscience.' This kind of tribunal solicits public conscience. It's formed because the public conscience has been raised. This can be legally relevant in an actual tribunal."

The BRussell´s Tribunal

The Chairman of the recent tribunal was Francois Houtart, one of the founders of the World Social Forum.

"Of course it's difficult for people to understand international law because it is quite complicated. But what the people see very clearly is what is just and what is wrong."

At the end of three days of testimony, questioning and deliberation, the tribunal's commission presented two pages of findings, in essence a summary of the witness testimony. This raises another of the key criticisms of the tribunal; namely that it's organized by critics of the current US policy in Iraq and there is no real judge or jury to pass judgment. "I don't think it matters," says Ken Coates. "The jury is the generation that is awakening to the realities of political life in a world torn by war. What the tribunals of public opinion are seeking to do is focus a process in which over time, people will form appropriate conclusions about what's going wrong in the world."

Ken Coates

Wicked Russell
And what would Russell make of the fact that more than 35 years after the initial tribunal, his name is still being invoked for this type of gathering? Ken Coates laughs as he answers.

"Russell always said he was not averse to flattery. Undoubtedly the fact that people go on invoking him year after year is something that speaks well of his memory. Or it speaks ill of his memory. There are still those who think this shows what a wicked man he was to encourage people to make claims which were outside their legitimate status. I'm in the camp of those who believe this was a bold initiative of Russell's that is still relevant and can still excite the young. But we have to face the fact that it's controversial and I think it will go on being controversial as long as people can exercise uncontrolled power over one another."

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Return of the people's tribunal

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