Human rights for Western Sahara – the time is now!

Australia Western Sahara Association : awsa.org.au

Human rights for Western Sahara – the time is now!

Three monkey protest

When : Friday 13 April 2012 at 1- 2pm
Where : French Consulate, 33/101 Collins St, Melbourne

In Melbourne the three monkeys will be gathering outside the French Consulate at 33/101 Collins St on Friday 13 April at 1pm.

See no evil, Hear no evil and Speak no evil. They represent the way in which the United Nations has turned a blind eye to human rights abuses in occupied Western Sahara, most notably, France. For in fact, it is France in particular which has done more than turn a blind eye. It has used its threat of a veto twice before to prevent the inclusion of human rights monitoring in MINURSO's mandate. France, a champion of human rights in many contexts, and which could have the greatest influence with Morocco if it chose to use it, has turned its back on support for human rights for Saharawis. Let's try to make them turn this policy around.

Human rights continue to be violated in occupied Western Sahara and are being reported now on a wonderful new technology called Crowdmap. New incidents appearing almost daily: https://westernsahara.crowdmap.com/

Lyn Allison, AWSA's president, has already written on this subject to the UN Secretary General with copies to the 15 Security Council members. A copy of her letter can be seen on http://awsa.org.au/?p=833

Further info: http://minurso.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Minurso-2012/308368392563873

HUMAN RIGHTS COMPONENT NEEDED IN MINURSO’s MANDATE

Background – Message from the youth of Western Sahara

At the end of April 2012, the MINURSO mandate in Western Sahara will end and the UN Security Council will vote on renewing it. During the last MINURSO decision, many North-African countries were at the height of the so-called Arab Spring. This, in turn, has changed the political landscape in several countries of the region.

Meanwhile, young Saharawis are showing that they have lost trust in the never-ending negotiations between the Frente Polisario and Morocco on the fate of the Western Sahara. The occupied territories are becoming more and more moroccanized. The resistance against occupation is growing by day, despite Moroccan authorities’ systematic violations of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.

The Saharawi refugee camps in Algeria are lacking basic necessities because of the decrease in humanitarian aid, which has been affected by the economic crises in Europe, the drought in the Sahel, and the instability of the region.

The Saharawi people are becoming ever more frustrated with the diplomatic process. The threat of a return to hostilities is imminent. They see it now as the only way to end the occupation and bring freedom of Western Sahara.

We want to show the UN that the time is now! If the UN keeps on ignoring human rights violations against the Saharawi people and avoids, once again, extending the MINURSO’s mandate to human rights situation in Western Sahara, they run the risk of this being the last MINURSO mandate extension they can declare. The injustice, discrimination, and racism against the Saharawi people will result in an end to the ceasefire in days to come.

We want to show that we expect the UN to support the decolonization of Western Sahara by realizing the referendum of self-determination. But first, it needs to protect the human rights of the Saharawi people now, through its body, the MINURSO. We will do so by addressing a list of demands to the members of the UN Security Council.

We will demonstrate in front of the embassies of the five UNSC permanent members on Saturday 14 April 2012.
The symbol of this demonstration is three monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, all dressed as “blue helmeted” soldiers of MINURSO who are ignoring the human rights violations.

Groups of young activists will make this happen in in Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Paris and Melbourne and more, while Saharawi students will take their protest to MINURSO’s office in the refugee camps.

Let us show Morocco that we will not keep on waiting silently, and that Saharawi youth have friends and supporters in European capitals who will strengthen their voice.

ENDS

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