Text of the Walhi Statement

Text of the Walhi Statement

WALHI's Political Statement on Military Aggression against Iraq

From: The National Executive of WALHI [1] (Indonesian Forum for Environment)

Jakarta, 24 March 2003

The commencement of the military aggression on Iraq, signals naked war crimes against humanity, being conducted by the administrations of George W. Bush (USA), Tony Blair (United Kingdom) and John Howard (Australia) on the peoples, the women and the children of Iraq.

The ignoring of the authority of the United Nations and violations of international conventions, show that there are no arguments to justify the military aggression of the United States and its Allies.

The military aggression of the coalition spearheaded by the US on the nation of Iraq is a crime against humanity and a violation of the values and principles of human rights, clearly stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, the US and its allies are unilaterally violating Resolution No.1441 of the UN Security Council by which the international community gave the mandate to find a resolution of the US-Iraq conflict.

We believe that the crimes conducted by the US and its allies, which has ruined the livelihood of the innocent peoples of Iraq, shows nothing but an ambition to.... conquer the political sovereignty, and gain the colonization, of Iraq.....specifically to win economic and political authority over oil.

Demonstrations and protests by the international community against the military aggression of Iraq demonstrate a belief in the illegitimacy of such conduct by those who desire a peaceful world. ..

Therefore we fully support any kind of peaceful action by peoples and communities around the world, urging the US government and its allies to stop the war; while at the same time condemning any kind of threat or violence to US, British and Australian citizens in any parts of the world.

In this context, the Statute and the Basic Values of WALHI, which have been the basic principles and basis for WALHI's advocacy and activities, are clearly stated. WALHI is an organization based on the principles of humanity and respect to living creatures, democracy, human rights and, the justice and sovereignty of the sources of livelihood.

WALHI also takes a position as part of peoples' and social movements, of fighting against any kind of domination by global forces that are responsible for grabbing the rights to live, and political, economic and cultural rights of peoples around the world...

Based on the above principles, the National Executive of the Indonesian Forum for Environment takes a political stance as follow:

* We call for... urgent action to stop the war and the withdrawal of all military troops of the US and its allies from Iraq, either through diplomatic, political and economic pressures.

* Urge the United Nations to immediately impose sanctions against the governments of the US and its allies, and take George Bush, Tony Blair, and John Howard to the International Court for war crimes and crime against humanity.

* Urge the Indonesian government to break diplomatic relationships with the governments of the US, UK, and Australia, and firmly prohibit the use of Indonesian territory for the mobilization of military forces and equipment.

* As part of this political position and for the supremacy of human rights and democracy, the National Executive of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (WALHI) has decided to halt all cooperations with the development agencies of the governments of the US, UK, and Australia. We decide to take steps as follow:

Stop the cooperation relationship with USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) and as soon as possible clear the outstanding administrative matters of the previous cooperation.

Stop the negotiation process for cooperation with DFID (the Department for International Development of the UK), and AusAID (Australian Agency for International Development).

The National Executive of WALHI also calls on to all pro-democracy society and social movement in Indonesia and around the world to:

Unite in fighting any kind of aggression and imperialism of the US and its allies, and stop any cooperation with the US, UK and Australia government. Take firm stance to fight against any kind of penetration, hegemony, and domination of global neo-liberalism in political, economic, and socio-cultural lives, and any kind of neo-colonialism and neo-imperialism that has and will grab the rights to live and the rights of political, economic, socio-cultural of the peoples around the world Let us move together for a just and peaceful world, without any kind of domination and violence.

For Justice and Peace,

Jakarta, 24 March 2003

Longgena Ginting

Executive Director

[1] WALHI is a nationwide network of 510 NGOs, students, and community organizations in 25 provinces (out of 33 provinces) in Indonesia.