Western Sahara Action Ireland protest in at Central Bank on Saturday December 18th from 2 – 3.30pm.

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Monday December 13, 2010 15:21 by Diarmuid Breatnach - Western Sahara Action Ireland

Visual protest at Central Bank on Saturday December 18th from 2 – 3.30pm.

Protest to highlight the increasingly violent actions of Morocco in maintaining its illegal occupation of Western Sahara;

And the illegal business activities of Irish oil company San Leon In Western Sahara

*PRESS RELEASE*

WESTERN SAHARA ACTION IRELAND

Visual protest at Central Bank on Saturday December 18th from 2 – 3.30pm.

To highlight the increasingly violent actions of Morocco in maintaining its illegal occupation of Western Sahara.

To protest at the illegal business activities of Irish oil company San Leon In Western Sahara

Western Sahara Action Ireland is a non-political collective of interested groups and individuals in Ireland who wish to see the decolonization of Western Sahara by Morocco and allow the indigenous Saharawi people back into their own country. Western Sahara Action Ireland also wishes to expose the gross human rights abuses that are carried out on a daily basis by Morocco in the occupied territory. The last colony in Africa is on the verge of explosion and is closer to war now than at any time in the last 20 years.

Western Sahara Action Ireland includes among its members Tom Hyland, former international East Timor campaign leader, international human rights lawyer Pedro Pinto Leite and a range of leading writers, artists and musicians. It is supported by many leading politicians including Michael D Higgins, Proinsias De Rossa MEP, Simon Coveney and Joe Higgins MEP.

ON THE VERGE OF WAR
Tensions are at a higher level in Western Sahara now than at any time in the last 20 years. Following the Moroccan destruction of a protest camp containing 20,000 people just over two weeks ago it is difficult to see how much more the Saharawi people can take. It is incredible that no figures have yet been released of the number of dead and hundreds of injured and disappeared. There is a complete media ban on the area and the UN people there have no human rights mandate so can only stand idly by. Having just returned from the Saharawi refugee camps in southern Algeria it is clear how angry the people are there and some see it as inevitable that they have no choice but to return to war. The consequences will be disastrous for both sides.

Western Sahara is the last colony in Africa and has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975. Morocco is obliged under international law and as a member of the UN to allow a vote of self determination for the people of the territory. Yet for 35 years 165,000 Saharawi people have lived in refugee camps in Southern Algeria, ethnically cleansed from their own country. Morocco built a 2,000km wall visible from Google earth to stop the Saharawi people returniing to their country. A media blanket has been put on Moroccan contolled Western Sahara, making it very difficult to expose the torture and discrimination that happen in the occupied territory on a daily basis where 80,000 Saharawi people live. Moreover Morocco are illegally pilfering the significant phosphate and fishing resources of Western Sahara contrary to international law.

Western Sahara Action Ireland acknowledges that Ireland can be and is close to being the first European country to take a stand on this issue and recognize Western Sahara as a legitimate state. There is significant political support in Ireland across all parties for the de-colonization of Western Sahara. Already more than half of the UN member states recognize Western Sahara as an official state governed by the Polisario. This is a battle of economy over human rights. Europe and the USA need to override their fear of losing business links with Morocco and speak out to pressurize Morocco to put an end to the daily gross human rights abuses and torture that are being perpetrated by them. Western Sahara Action Ireland wishes to increase pressure both in Ireland and abroad to bring about a just and fair solution to the conflict.

Irish illegal oil prospecting:
Irish owned company San Leon is the last major oil company illegally prospecting in the territory of Western Sahara. They have ignored requests from Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin and many other leading politicians to respect international law and suspend their operations. All other major international oil companies such as Kerr Mc Gee have left the area voluntarily due to international pressure.

For further information on Western Sahara Action Ireland please contact Mark Mc Loughlin on 087 0538598