Peace, lest we forget
Cindy Lemcke-Hoong is a Holland-based fellow Malaysian I befriended through this blog. She was so kind to drive from afar to meet up and to give me a ride around The Hague when I had a brief visit of the city that faces the North Sea (below), a couple of weeks ago. I shall cherish her friendship for a long, long time.
I always love the sight of a lighthouse, this one in The Hague
As usual, I travelled with a camera in tow and let the splendour of European architecture and cultural colours astound me. Another personal agenda in visiting The Netherlands was to visit WWII relics, with Arnhem -- the town ravaged under Operation Market Garden, being top of the list.
But due to the time constraint, it seems I have to come back again some other time, and for the time being, be contented with visiting the Peace Palace, which houses the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The pillar standing on the vribrant flowerbed is a stern message to the World, lest we forget
The ICJ was established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations, and the Court began work in 1946 as the successor to the Permanent Court of International Justice. It is the principal judicial organ of the UN that is anchored on the Statute of the International Court of Justice.
The monuments across the ICJ that engraved the misfortunesof WWII from 1940-1945
Today, a peace forum convenes in Kuala Lumpur with an assertion that the world may be in the throes of a new global conflict -- WW4, the coming nuclear wars.
While the first two World Wars were fought on geographical boundaries, with collateral damages inflicting many countries and peoples that took ages to heal, the third World War was subtle. The Cold War which ended with the collapse of Russia.
Is Iran, which clamours for equality in nuclear technology, and the US which denies it, building the present hot-and-cold waves of yet another world war?
Can the UN, with the five permanent members of the Security Council wielding veto powers, be instrumental and effective in averting WW4 while the entire world is compromised by the fact these five countries manufacture 85% of the world's weaponry?
What's the relevance of the ICJ and the Belgium-based International Criminal Court, or the War Crimes Law?
"We need to work in the long-term for war to be made a crime. People who wage war should be treated as criminals," said Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is the key driver behind Perdana Peace Forum 2006, with this year's theme: "Criminalise War. Stop WW4".
Comments
The seaside is actually not The Hague, but the for foreigners unpronouncable Scheveningen.
Posted by: Albert![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 20, 2006 11:43 PM
jeff, sorry ah... but why all your photos are slanting down the right side?
Posted by: lsk![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 21, 2006 09:57 AM
jeff
Captured in your first three pictures
"its a bird, its a plane, its..spender-man." :)
Posted by: eantautjk![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 21, 2006 10:31 AM
Jeff, i am just curious why you have excluded the more recent wars (though not really of global scales) such as when Iraq invaded Kuwait, US + other countries invaded Iraq?
JEFF OOI says: I am a fanatic on WWII relics. To me, that's the period when scientific and engineering innovation, warefare strategies, bloopers and blunders, interesting personalities and idiocyncracies dotted the history -- and UN was an immediate outcome. And steam-engine trains, admittedly my biggest vice in life, were everywhere. I find it harder to relate to the more modern wars to come.
Posted by: profx![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 21, 2006 01:09 PM
it seems to me that ww2 is the only war, in recent history at least, that we can confidently and comfortably claim as a righteous one. and "we" were on the right side. even then, there are still 2 camps of thought in malaysia on the jap occupation... goes to show that war is never black & white. and the victors do write the history.
Posted by: lsk![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 21, 2006 01:58 PM
All cumulative miniature war/battles ignite after world war 2, claim more life and resources than WW2.
Fromt there, you will learn the shape of WW3 or WW4.
Posted by: moo_t![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 21, 2006 08:13 PM
Hello Jeff,
The photos are just like postcards! I did not realize those light-houses are that pretty until I saw these photos. And I take my walks there quite often.
Yes. The unpronounceable Scheveningen. Oh well. For a quick tour of The Hague and surroundings in 3,4 hours. It would be quite difficult to pick up all the names???
Next time you stop by, we should visit Mesdaag.
Cindy
Posted by: cindy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 22, 2006 08:08 AM
Amsterdam is the only place in the world where you can see a dog high on dope.
JEFF OOI says: Are you high? ;-) Nothing to do with Amsterdam here. This particular blog, I talked about The Hague as the seat for international arbitration of disputes, which often disrupt peace.
Posted by: sydput![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 22, 2006 11:16 AM
When peaceniks gather, hilarity ensues. All countries should dismantle nuclear weapons and peace be achieve hahahahahahahahaha..
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=9985
Posted by: remy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 23, 2006 01:24 AM
War is a capital crime against humanity. No good has come out of any war - only death & suffering. The latest proof is the action of those morons in 'The Coalition of the Willing'. The UN which is an outcome of WW2 is an American puppet - powerless with the majority of its organisations corrupt. Kofi Annan gets paid to pay lip service to the atrocities committed by the White Supremists.
Posted by: bnaipal![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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June 23, 2006 01:04 PM