Scotland has taen a bauld stap by beginnin a campaign tae eyn its ties tae external rule. On 7 Mairch, a group representin mair nor 17,000 memmers o Liberation Scotland sent an Advance Notice o Petition tae da UN Special Committee on Decolonisation. Da petition, alang wi supportin papers, is noo on view at www.liberation.scot.

Da petition argues dat Scotland has bin denied its richt tae self-rule. Da legal case rests on UN General Assembly Resolutions 1514 (XV), 1541 (XV) an 1654 (XVI), plus Chapter XI o da UN Charter. Dese rules gie fowk da richt tae choose deir ain path an tae shak aff foreign rule. Da claim is dat da UK government has stapped Scotland frae makin its ain chyces. A passage in da supportin papers notes dat “aa fowk hae da richt tae self-determination” an dat da “subjection o fowk tae alien subjugation, domination an exploitation constitutes a denial o fundamental human richts.”

Professor Alf Baird, a leadin vyce for da campaign, explained, “Scotland’s political an constitutional status aligns wi da established international criteria for recognition as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. Da forcomin petition aims tae rectify Scotland’s exclusion frae da UN decolonisation agenda by formally requestin its inclusion on da list o Non-Self-Governing Territories, thereby initiatin da process for Scotland’s recognition as a territory entitled tae self-determination an independence unner UN owersicht.” He added, “Dis is a momentous development but necessary due tae da undemocratic naiture o wir political system whaar successive elected majorities o nationalist politicians in Scotland hae failed tae deliver independence, an wi da UK Government continuin tae block da inalienable richt o Scots tae self-determination. Dere is da realisation dat colonial exploitation an domination o Scotland an its fowk maun be ended an can be, via da UN decolonisation process Liberation Scotland his initiated. Aamaist aa former colonies dat hae becom independent kintras syne da creation o da United Nations in 1945 hae daen sae throu da UN self-determination an decolonisation process.”

Sara Salyers, Director o Salvo Scotland da campaign group, described da historical ties wi da UK in sombre terms. “Contrary tae whit we in Scotland – as weel as da warld at lairge – hae bin led tae believe, da historical incorporation o Scotland intae da United Kinrick in 1707 didna constitute a voluntary pairtnership. It wis nivver an expression o self-determination, but a process merked by political coercion, by threits o economic sanctions an military invasion an by bribery. Ultimately, it saa da abandonment by England o da Treaty o Union in favour o da annexation an ongaan colonisation o Scotland. Da dissolution o Scotland’s independent governance structures follaeed, alang wi da displacement o da indigenous population, da suppression o Scotland’s cultures, an da colonial exploitation o Scotland’s maritime an territorial assets. Da denial o Scotland’s democratic richts has continued ivver syne. By misrepresentin Scotland as a voluntary pairtner in da creation o a new state, raider dan a dependency o da English Croon, da UK government his failed tae meet its responsibility unner da criteria set furth by da United Nations unner Resolution 1541 (XV): Principles whit shuid guide Members in determinin whither or nae an obligation exists tae transmit da information caad for unner Article 73e o da United Nations Charter. Whit Liberation Scotland noo sikks is baith internationally laafu, an a fundamental human richt. It is simple justice for wir nation an lang owerdue.”

Sharof Azizov, Executive Director o Justice pour Tous Internationale, spak on da strenth o da legal case. He noted, “Da Advance Notice o Petition convincingly argues dat Scotland lost its political autonomy an becam a colony unner Westminster’s governance an dat dis an ither institutions o da state hae systemically eroded Scotland’s constitutional distinctiveness an suppressed Scotland’s richts tae self-determination.”

Da petition maks clear dat evidence shaws Scotland still bides unner rules set by an external pouer an lacks a fu measure o self-rule. Da petition awaits further staps frae da UN Special Committee on Decolonisation. In time, a formal request will be made tae include Scotland on da list o Non-Self-Governing Territories. Dis legal muive micht appen da wey for Scotland tae gain true self-rule unner UN owersicht.