Bringing honesty to the Kenyan truth commission

Joyce Mulama | Nairobi, Kenya

The notion that the truth will set you free has enduring appeal in developing countries that are newly free of repressive governments, and anxious to explore past abuses in an effort to avoid repeating them. Kenya is no exception to this trend.

However, the country is also discovering that setting up a truth commission to probe human rights violations is less straightforward than it might appear. Although a commission has yet to open its doors in Kenya, fierce debate is already under way about the period of time that should be surveyed by the body.

“We do not want a situation whereby the commission will only target the former Moi regime, while we know very well that gross human rights atrocities were also committed during the Kenyatta era,” says Njeru Gathangu, chairperson of Citizens for Justice, a human rights lobby group in the capital, Nairobi.

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=65845

Truth and Reconcilation might be a bad idea...?

He also blew the lid off a dirty little secret of the Coalition Provisional Authority: Due to its "outsourcing" of privatized security services, the CPA has put terrorists, mercenaries and war criminals on the payrolls of companies contracted by the Pentagon.

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18588




Japanese Public Opinion Favors Settling World War II Claims

In a study completed earlier this month by University of Cincinnati. Political Science graduate student, James R. Masterson, a review of Japanese public opinion poll data reveals that Japanese citizens overwhelmingly support compensation of W.W.II era victims of Japanese war crimes. Only 15% were opposed.v
http://www.skali.com/index.php?ac=22864&ch=19&pg=252

Isn't T&R Commissions a way around International Law anyhow and where DID this crazy idea come from?