In my opinion the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) delegates have missed out o­n a golden opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to its founding principle. NAM should have made the following declaration instead:

  • The undying and steadfast commitment to the rule of law where everyone is treated equally, without any bias to gender, race, colour or political inclination;
  • Commitment to free press and freedom of speech and thought, subject to restriction based o­nly o­n decency and not man-made laws;
  • The immediate abolition of slavery in developing countries where people from poor nations are treated with disgust, as foreign maids are;
  • Abolition of all laws that imprison people without a just and fair trial;
  • The immediate release of all prisoners of conscience imprisoned by despots such as Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Robert Mugabe, and so o­n;
  • The immediate halt to any military spending when people are dying of starvation, such as in India, Pakistan and North Korea;
  • The total ban o­n any civil privilege to leaders who use authoritarian power to suppress dissent, such as Zimbabwe and North Korea;
  • The immediate halt of Israel's atrocities in Palestinian conquered territories;
  • The total withdrawal of Chinese forces from Tibet and free election in the country soon after;
  • The introduction of full democracy in Cuba, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Burma;
  • The freezing of all assets of dictators in overseas countries;
  • The initiation of war crime charges against Israel's Ariel Sharon;
  • The authorisation of a multilateral peace-keeping force to the occupied territories of Palestine; and
  • The dmission of the existence of Aids and starvation by the poorly managed African countries.