June, 03, 2003 18:43 Age: 10 yrs
Research Seminar by Myint Zan
Category: Law News
The second presentation in the SOL research seminar series has been given by Myint Zan.
On 26th February, 2003, the second presentation in the School of Law research seminar series for 2003 was given by SOL staff member Myint Zan. The seminar paper was entitled: “Déjà vu? : UN Security Council Resolution (678) (1990) Revisited vis-à-vis the Current Iraq Crisis”. The seminar “revisited” UN Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) in relation to the occupation of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990, and contrasted the legal and political position then with the current situation pertaining to Iraq following that of Security Council Resolution 1441 (2002).
Myint also discussed the legal position which would pertain if there were unilateral action against Iraq by the United States without the explicit "imprimatur" of a Security Council Resolution which, at the time of the seminar, the US and UK administrations were trying to “pass through” the UN Security Council. A sense of déjà vu can be felt in that the imminence of war in the “shadow” of UN Security Council resolutions trying to provide “imprimatur” can be discerned both in 1990 “Gulf Crisis” and the 2003 Iraq situation.
The seminar also highlighted the considerable factual and legal differences in the two situations. Since war is likely to break out against Iraq, Myint rhetorically asked whether history will repeat itself as “tragedy or as farce”? In answer to that “query” the seminar concluded by a quote from Bob Dylan’s famous anti-war song: “The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind ...
Associate Professor Peter MacFarlane of the Law School chaired the seminar. It was a lively seminar followed by active discussions. About 30 persons attended the seminar. Among those present were the Chief Justice of Vanuatu, Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Emalus Campus of University of the South Pacific and the High Commissioner of New Zealand to Vanuatu as well as staff members of the Law School, Pacific Languages Unit and graduate and undergraduate law students on Emalus Campus.
