Wednesday, November 29, 2006

血鑽怨靈
文/林深靖

這是第一夫人吳淑珍不可錯過的一部電影:《血鑽》(Blood Diamond),大帥哥李奧納多‧狄卡皮歐(Leonardo DiCaprio)主演,預定十二月中旬美國首映。在國務機要費偵查過程中浮現的那顆百萬級蒂芙尼鑽戒,於今行蹤成謎。夫人也許可以不告訴我們鑽戒的去處,但是,透過這部電影,我們可以告訴她鑽戒的來源……  
據知,李奧納多將以這一部新片角逐奧斯卡金像獎影帝。《血鑽》的背景是一九九O代末期的獅子山共和國,當時,為了搶奪鑽石礦的開採權和走私的管道,獅子山爆發內戰,光是一九九七年到二OOO,在戰亂中死亡的就高達七萬五千人。這一部電影印證了流傳於黑暗非洲的一句警語:「如果你要活得久,鑽石千萬碰不得」(If you want long life,never touch the diamond!)  
其實,在非洲的主要鑽石礦藏所在國家,如獅子山、安哥拉、剛果民主共和國,戰火綿延,砲彈與血肉齊飛:鑽石的開採提供了打仗所需要的武器,買了武器又來搶奪鑽石開採的權利。如此循環反覆,哪一塊鑽石能不沾上黑錢與黑人紅色的血跡?  
二OOO年七月五日,聯合國通過1306號決議案,全面禁止獅子山的鑽石出口。彼時,獅子山的內戰已打了將近十年,政府軍和反抗軍的武器,主要都是靠賣鑽石去換取。   
獅子山共和國位於西非大西洋沿岸,一八O八年就成為英國的殖民地。早年有無數的原住民被英、美的奴隸販子送上奴隸船,在美洲大陸成為任人宰割的黑奴。直到一七八七年,反黑奴的英國左翼團體集資買下沿海的土地,被林肯總統解放的黑奴才得以離開美國,回到獅子山聚居。一九七一年的一場軍事政變,使獅子山脫離大英國協,成為獨立的共和國。然而,英國在獅子山仍擁有龐大的經濟勢力,在政治動盪期間,維護其既得利益乃是首要的考量。因此,英國也正是聯合國1306號決議案的提案人,希望透過禁運制約叛軍的擴張。  
當然,為了強化禁運制裁的道德合理性,決議案內文也同時要求聯合國秘書長授權組織專家小組,對鑽石換武器的交易展開調查。當然,禁運的效果是有限的,透過賴比瑞亞和幾內亞等鄰國,獅子山的鑽石走私還是可以找到交易的管道,只要黛比爾斯(De Beers)和蒂芙尼(Tiffany)等鑽石商在媒體上持續大打廣告創造奢華的需求,明晃晃的鑽石不難找到屬於它的黑市。  
事實上,獅子山內戰的背景既不是意識型態的鬥爭,也不是族群或地域的衝突,其根源完全是因為敵對的國際珠寶商對鑽石礦藏的競奪。鑽石稀有而昂貴的特質更激發商人的貪婪與無情,他們不僅將商場視為戰場,同時也將戰場視為商場,在無數黑人戰士的屍骨上累積他們的財富。   
跨國企業也將他們跨國經營的技巧運用到跨越國界的「犯罪經濟」網絡。從獅子山走私出來的鑽石,絕大多數在鄰國的賴比瑞亞交易,光是賴比瑞亞首府門羅維亞(Monrovia)一個城市,每一年就至少有二億美元的鑽石買賣。鑽石、武器、毒品和洗錢交織成整個黑市的結構。鑽石大戶戴比爾斯和拉札‧卡普蘭國際企業(Lazare Kaplan International)是這一寶石交易系統的最大獲利者。因為,從戰亂地區開採的原鑽,透過走私管道運出,可以讓鑽石企業財團以最低廉的價錢購得成色最佳的商品,也因此可以控制國際鑽石市場,保有最高的獲利空間。  
獅子山的反抗軍固然靠出賣國家礦藏換取武器,政府軍也好不到哪裡去。總統和他的部長們只不過是一個披著合法外衣的強盜集團。獅子山的公民未曾從政府獲得任何福利或服務,然而它卻是一個受到國際社會承認的合法政權,可以一筆一筆地與加拿大、美國、比利時、英國和南非的採礦公司簽約。整個獅子山「有價值的國土」,被一平方米、一平方米地切割出來做抵押,原鑽、紅寶石、黃金、鋁土等礦藏就這樣一點一滴地轉讓、賤賣。  
獅子山每年有十億美元的寶石流入國際珠寶市場,而其豐富的鋁礦藏量也足以影響到國際市場的價格。因此,不僅兩大鑽石集團在此展開血腥的競爭,做為前殖民母國的英國也部署軍力支持當權派,以維持礦藏開採的穩定。複雜無比的外來勢力介入獅子山內戰,使得這個祖先被販賣為黑奴的國家,幾乎看不到任何和平的希望。   
由於連年戰亂,死傷無數,為了補充兵員,許多孩子們小小的年紀就被迫武裝,送上戰場。每年的雨季過後,鑽石在雨水沖刷下裸露出來,用很簡單的器械就可以採拾,這時候,娃娃兵又成為最廉價的勞工。有多少美麗的鑽石就這樣沾染了孩子們的血水與淚水!  
一九九九年七月,在聯合國的調停之下,獅子山內戰的雙方終於在多哥首府洛梅(Lome)簽訂和約,維和部隊藍盔軍也逐漸進駐。反抗軍首領桑可(Foday Sankoh)也接受安排,以副總統暨國家礦藏資源委員會主席的名義,住進首都自由城的官邸。沒想到桑可將妥協的禮遇位置當真,竟提出重新審定外國公司的採礦權利書,並要求展開新一輪的礦產控制權談判。這樣的提議當然不為利益糾葛的西方國家所接受,桑可的職權逐漸被架空,並與當時的聯合國秘書長安南(Kofi Annan)爆發嚴重的口角。於是,當桑可發現聯合國的一萬三千名藍盔軍竟推進到他原先控制的鑽石產地時,他重新帶著游擊隊進入叢林,展開地盤保衛戰。  
二OOO年五月初,桑可反撲,約五百名藍盔軍成為「聯合革命戰線」的俘虜。緊接著,英國派出八百名經過特種訓練的傘兵,活生生逮捕了桑可。然而,獅子山的戰火並不因桑可的落網而終止。桑可不是亂源,鑽石才是。美、英等強權主控的聯合國,若只知將藍盔軍投入殺戮戰場,而不思整治血腥的國際鑽石市場,那麼,在鑽石商唯利是圖的競奪之下,每一顆埋在地底的鑽石都將可能是星星之火,隨時都可能點燃另一場戰爭!   
聯合國對獅子山施行禁運制裁的決議,固然是要斷絕戰亂鑽石的貨源,但是,如果鑽石商不配合,一切都是徒然。國際特赦組織和「全球證人」(Global Witness,曾出版一份調查報告,指控 De Beers從「血腥鑽石」獲取巨利)等人權團體強烈要求鑽石交易應擔負道德責任,美麗高貴的寶石應附加基本的倫理行為法則。兩千年七月十七日,國際鑽石商協會在比利時的安維爾市(Anvers)舉行,為了避免血腥污名破壞了鑽石的市場和行情,會中決議要對出口的鑽石採取國際認證制度,以確保每一顆鑽石都可追溯到其原產地。然而,由於執行上困難重重,技術上也難以突破,這樣的決議大概只能流於「道德的宣示」或「善良的願望」。   
我們在此要提醒上流社會的貴夫人們:愛護動物的人會拒絕貂皮大衣,那麼,如果你珍視人類生命,就拒絕鑽石吧!否則就讓非洲那無數黑色的怨靈成為附著在你身上的飾物……

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

電影介紹---血鑽BLOOD DIAMOND

Set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone, "Blood Diamond" is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and their circumstances are as different as any can be until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond, the kind of stone that can transform a life...or end it.
Solomon, who has been taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields, finds the extraordinary gem and hides it at great risk, knowing if he is discovered, he will be killed instantly. But he also knows the diamond could not only provide the means to save his wife and daughters from a life as refugees but also help rescue his son, Dia, from an even worse fate as a child soldier.

Archer, who has made his living trading diamonds for arms, learns of Solomon's hidden stone while in prison for smuggling. He knows a diamond like this is a once-in-a-lifetime find—valuable enough to be his ticket out of Africa and away from the cycle of violence and corruption in which he has been a willing player.

Enter Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an idealistic American journalist who is in Sierra Leone to uncover the truth behind conflict diamonds, exposing the complicity of diamond industry leaders who have chosen profits over principles. Maddy seeks out Archer as a source for her article, but soon finds it is he who needs her even more.

With Maddy's help, Archer and Solomon embark on a dangerous trek through rebel territory. Archer needs Solomon to find and recover the valuable pink diamond, but Solomon seeks something far more precious...his son.

Directed by Edward Zwick, the action drama "Blood Diamond" stars Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Aviator"), Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly ("A Beautiful Mind") and Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou ("In America"). The screenplay was written by Charles Leavitt, from a story by Leavitt and C. Gaby Mitchell.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, "Blood Diamond," a Spring Creek / Bedford Falls production, in association with Initial Entertainment Group, released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. "Blood Diamond" is produced by Paula Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Graham King and Gillian Gorfil. The executive producers are Len Amato, Kevin De La Noy and Benjamin Waisbren.
The film also stars Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo, David Harewood, Basil Wallace and introduces Kagiso Kuypers as Dia.

Collaborating with Zwick behind the scenes were director of photography Eduardo Serra, production designer Dan Weil, costume designer Ngila Dickson, and editor Steven Rosenblum. James Newton Howard composed the score.
This film has been rated "R" by the MPAA for "strong violence and language"
"Blood Diamond" opens nationwide on December 8, 2006, and will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

本文節錄自 http://blooddiamondmovie.warnerbros.com/ (內有預告片)
for more information http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450259/