allAfrica.com * Winston Tubman Comments On TRC Process The Analyst (Monrovia) NEWS 10 January 2008 Posted to the web 10 January 2008 "The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a brainchild of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement brokered by the International Community in Accra, Ghana, in 2003 to give victims and perpetrators of the conflict to tell their stories so that national to enhance reconciliation and peace That process has since begun but without challenges. With just three days into the TRC Public Hearing, a former Presidential contender, Cllr. Winston A. Tubman has expressed concerns about the process and what he thinks is not proper. Former presidential candidate, Cllr. Winston A. Tubman says those who instigated, funded and even fought should be made to appear before the TRC to tell their stories, not only those he called the "small people" who were sent and carried out orders. Commenting on number of issues when he addressed the press at his Congo Town residence, Cllr. Tubman said those who instigated, funded or fought in the conflict were basking immune and holding "high positions in the country while the little ones that were sent are "humbugged, pursued and threatened to be hauled before the TRC, describing it "a costly charade dubious legality." It is not known as tot where he gathered his information, observers however say it runs to the fact the TRC is not pursuing, threatening or hauling people before but that those who are giving testimonies are doing it voluntarily. Saying that he was speaking as a member of LIBWIN, the former Presidential contender on the ticket of the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) raised many questions than answers: "Why is it necessary for the TRC to dig up mass graves? When something similar was done in Iraq and in the former Yugoslavia, it was in preparation for Criminal prosecutions. In our country, we appear to have opted for a confusing and dangerous hybrid, in that at the conclusion of the TRC process recommendations will be made to the Government on those to be pardoned and those to be sent for trial." Referring to discrimination, he observed that will not foster reconciliation, but it is more likely to do the opposite, saying that under the Liberian Constitution, people have the right to refuse to incriminate themselves. He warned that it would therefore be wrong to send for trial, persons from whom the admission of crime had been extracted in front of the TRC. "Those Liberians who committed wrongs against the people of Liberia during our civil war, even outside the TRC framework ought to step forward, tell the truth about what they did and ask those they victimized and the Liberian people as a whole to forgive them. "Only in such a manner will the slow and painful process of healing and reconciliation truly begins," the Liberian politician said. In his view, the TRC has many flaws because "if you are going to examine the causes of the war, you don't sent people around to point at people, and show mass graves. I think all of that is bring back the hurts that people had. "The way I understand the truth and reconciliation concept to work is that the people who are hurt, those who involved in the commission of the crimes should come forward and tell the truth." When asked if his statement in essence meant that he favors a war crime other than TRC, he said a war crime tribunal could be quiet in place had Liberians opted for it at the time negotiations were ongoing in Ghana as a means of truly endangering national healing and reconciliation. Apart from that, Cllr. Tubman focused on other issues which he believes will make impact if the Government gives its fullest attention. He said there was need for the Government to pay more attention while UNMIL was still in the country helping to maintain security. In so doing, he averred that the government needs to tackle "deeply entrenched social issues such as disunity and ethnic animosities among Liberians, poor education and high unemployment that led to war in the first place." Given the gravity and impact of the war including the large number of Liberians killed, the greater number of those wounded, and the massive destruction of physical and social infrastructures, he said the Liberians thought their first post-conflict government would attack the root causes of the conflict by placing priority on national healing and reconciliation, but is yet to be done. "Instead," he said, "priority has been given to debt relief and the rapid restoration of the country's international image". These are not unworthy objectives, but with things inside the country remaining dire, the projection of a flattering image abroad cannot endure. "Such image would be exposed as groundless as the endemic unaddressed causes of our conflicts reassert themselves." Commenting on debt relief, which is one of the government other main preoccupations, Cllr. Tubman noted that this is to ultimately enable Liberia to incur new loans. But, according to him, before Liberians begin borrowing again, it would be expedient to study and find out why and how the past loans got them into the debt mess in which they now find themselves. "What aspects of our systems and structures have we fixed in the meantime that will result in our finding and better funding projects that will have a more lasting developmental impact on the country than was realized from past loans"? He wondered. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2008 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------