GREAT SPEECH

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Dr Mahathir, 84, addressed a conference to CRIMINALISE WAR on 28/10/2009, with a speech outlining the history of war the profiteering of war by arms industries.

He acknowledged that the world can be destroyed several times over, and spoke about the illogical response of some intelligent people in saying that as war had been around for thousands of years, we should accept it.

Dr Mahathir said that proxy wars are often encouraged and conducted in order to test new weapons. He said that those few states that are criticized for having primitive nuclear weapons would be mad to use them, and that those who have brought the world to the brink of nuclear war several times can only have the moral high ground in demanding others disarm, if they provide an example themselves.

Mahathir said that people who live under dictatorships also have a right to life, and depriving them of their right to life should be a heinous crime. "Human rights is not for democratic people only. Every human life is sacred" the former Prime Minister said, addressing the conference hall with around 1,500 people in attendance, including some victims of war.

Mahathir said that war "must be made crime, on a grand scale" and said that he is aware that in making this call "we are calling for a change in the human mind set", due to the long history of resolving conflicts by killing each other, so that one or the other would be defeated or cease to exist." He said that the "primitive people of the past knew no other way of resolving their differences."

Dr Mahathir said that however with the huge world population and the vast numbers of people that are killed in recent wars, including 70 million in the two "world wars", necessitates further that mankind evolve to better ways of resolving differences. He said that today all people irrespective of their age, sex or status are killed during wars without discrimination, due to the new weapons of mass destruction.

"Those who survive the bombs and the missiles would have no food and water, no electricity, no toilet and no shelter of any kind. Disease would spread and decimate the survivers", he said, on the effects of war, and noted that we are "now capable of wiping out the entire human race and making the planet uninhabitable" and that the weaker countries would not be able to defend themselves in limited wars, and that the strong victors would demand reparations from the vanquished.

Dr Mahathir said that it is the aggressors, no matter if they win or not, who should be punished and punished severely. Only this would deter the aggressors from resorting to war", to applause of the audience.

So long as the United Nations are under the direction of the victors of the wars 60 years ago, we cannot expect justice, Dr Mahathir said. Fairness could only occur if the courts are independent and impartial and can judge those who resorted to war. He said that there is an initiative to conduct a War Crimes Tribunal, made up of judges from various countries, who have been entrusted to be fair, impartial and just, and that this tribunal would take place starting 30th October after the Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the procedures would follow as far as possible the British Common Law system, and he explained the method of the tribunal, and said that although he did not think the sentences could be carried out as yet but that he hoped the moral force would help people everywhere to appreciate the callous orders given by those who escape justice, to embark upon massive killings, and that people will come to accept that war is a crime and that war monger be regarded as criminals. When that happens, he hopes the world will become a more peaceful place.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step, without that first step the journey will never be taken at all", Dr Mahathir quotes Confusious, saying that it is a step worth taking even if it takes a thousand years.