To last week's reports on The Statement of Aims of the Campaign, and the resolution on structural organisation, we now give details of the other important resolutions passed at the Campaign's First National Conference a fortnight ago: Resolution on British Complicity in the War
The extent of the British government's complicity in the US war in Vietnam is insufficiently known. It is profound and operates at many levels: 1) Britain has repeatedly supported US apologies for the war; 2) Britain has supported the US bombing of North Vietnam; 3) Britain is @ principal foreign apologist for the Johnson Administration's imperialism. Britain has become more then even before 4 built-in part of the American aggressive system; 4) Britain has been co-architect of Western imperialism in South East Asia by its policy in 'MAlaysia' and East of Suez; 5) Britain has recognised the illegal and unrepresentative Saigon puppet ‘government ; 6) Britain is selling weapons to the US for its war in Vietnam; 7) Britain has helped perpetrate the fraud of 'peace' missions and 'negotiations' ; 8) Although co-chairman of the Geneva Conference in 1954, Britain has repeatedly failed to assist the implementation of the Agreements or to prevent the US wrecking them; 9) British officers experienced in counter-insurgency warfare are training Saigon puppet troops in 'Malaysia' with British weapons; 10) Britain's provision of the Thompson 'police mission' in Saigon makes every British taxpayer responsible for the slaughter of the Vietnamese people. Whilst further British involvement in the war, which is sought by Washington, would be a yet greater crime, the extent of British complicity is inmense. The Vietnam Solidarity Campaign will combat it by every means available
++ eae Conference also agreed, in principle, to the setting up of a War Crimes Tribunal, and submitted the resolution before the Conference to the newly elected National Council, The following is the slightly abridged text of the document which has now been accepted: A War Crimes Tribunal
Preface: Not since Nazi atrocities has the world been so roused by the extent of the cruelty shown people made victims of 4 great military power. Through out the world, demonstrations against the use of chemicals, gas and torture by the United States have led to a growing desire for a properly constituted international tribunal to hear the full evidence and present a definitive indictment of these crimes. A War Crimes Tribunal which accomplishes this task will make a permanant contribution to the exposure of timse responsible for this barbarism. US imperialism will fim its war of agression against the people of Vietnam is exposed in the most dramatic way. Its plans for extending these crimes wherever people resist oppression and exploitation will be better understood and, therefore, more effectively resisted. Over /
Vietnam Solidarity Conference Continued
The War Crimes Tribunal mist be guided by certain strategic principles: 1) The composition must be broadly based and chosen with a view to affecting public opinion in North America and Western Europe, 2) The breadth of the composition should in no way compromise the primary object of the Tribunal which is to set out definitively the barbarous character of the war of aggression waged by the US against the people of Vietnam. A preparatory committee should be established with representation from the US, Western Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, Preparatory Committee: A Preparatory Committee of 25 should be formed, with responsibilities to create Committees of Finance, Publicity, and Administration. The leading spokesmen of the Afro-American struggle should be represented on the Preparatory Committee. The active involvement of Negro leadership in the War Crimes Tribunal will have profound importance for the American people's resistance to US imperialism. 3 representatives of S.N.C.C. - James Forman, Julian Bond and John Lewis ~ have agreed, in principle, to participate. It is suggested that the first Preparatory meeting should take place in Paris, and that the War Crimes Tribunal should be scheduled for 6 months from the date of this meeting. Structure of Tribunal: There should be 12 members of the Tribunal, to include outstanding personalities and jurists. It is suggested that the Tribunal be convened by a small convening group consisting of such men as Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre and Francois Mauriac. The Tribunal Judges should hear all evidence, after which they should prepare a report. Those appearing before the Tribunal should include Vietnamese victims, both North and South, witnesses, journalists, scholars and scientists who are able to give evidence concerning the war crimes committed by the US Government and its satellites in Vietnam. All proceedings to be tape recorded, and it is recommended that a documentary film should be made by Emile de Antonio, a Director of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, an American renowned for his documentary films. The Finance Committee shoudd prepare a budget and launch a world appeal for support which shall be signed by the convening group. The Publicity Committee should prepare printed material concerning the forthcoming War Crimes Tribunal and establish liason with world news agencies. The Tribunal should sit for 12 weeks and receive the evidence of approximately 200 witnesses and examine the exhibits, which include photographs and analyses of the chemicals and gases employed in Vietnam. It is recommended that the venue should be France, if possible. France is the Western European country from which visas can most likely be obtained for all participants. If it is not possible to hold the Tribunal in France, it is suggested that Sweden and Finland should be tried. The Prosecutor responsible for the marshalling of the evidence should be the American lawyer, Mark Lane, The Tribunal should appoint deputies empowered to take depositions and evidence from witnesses unable to appear before the Tribunal and to prepare such evidence for the consideration of the Tribunal, These deputies, acting for the Tribunal itself, can reduce the amount of work necessary for the individual members of the Tribunal, whose eminence may make it difficult for them to participate without cessation throughout the duration of the Tribunal hearings.