Afghan's describe reasons for their action

dublin | racism & migration related issues | news report

Wednesday May 17, 2006 12:44

by Joe - WSM - personal capacity

Statement issued near start of occupation

I attended last nights vigil outside the cathedral. While there I got a copy of what appears to be a statement from the Afghan's probably released near the start of the occupation as it refers to 33 Afghans (this number rose to 41 within hours). As this doesn't seem to be online I've typed it in below - it certainly nails some of the lies being told and it is important that there words are circulated. I've also included a couple of photos from last night.

Anti-war protesters including some jailed for Shannon direct actions

Hunger strike by 33 Afghan asylum seekers in order to be given refugee status by the Irish Department of Justice

Afghanistan has been a country in critical war conditions for a long time, whether it was occupied by Russia troops or whether there was civil war. The human rights records remained poor due to a weak central government and deadly insurgents.

There are reports of politically motivated or extrajudicial killings by the governments or its agents. For example torture, official impunity, poor prison conditions, prolonged pre-trial detention, abuse of authority by regional commanders, restrictions on freedom of the press, religion, movement and associations, acts of violence, discrimination against women and minorities, trafficking in persons, abuse of workers rights, child labour, etc.

Unacquainted with the totality of the current situation in Afghanistan, the refugee application commissioner has not given full attention to our situation and has refused most of our asylum application without considering our human rights.

We held a disciplined demonstration against the decisions in Dublin in order to defend our rights and to fight for justice, but unfortunately we have not been give a positive response by the Department of Justice. We left Afghanistan to survive and protect our rights.

We have been here in Ireland for a number of years and most of us have been suffering from mental and physical problems on top of the mental and physical torture we had to endure in Afghanistan.

We could not bear this situation any longer. So finally we have taken refuge in this holy church and started a hunger strike to defend our human rights to asylum.

We want the opportunity to live a life in peace here in ireland. Otherwise we will face death.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Patrick Street Dublin 8

After the vigil

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Comments (4 of 4)

Woops

by Joe

Wed May 17, 2006 13:29

Just noticed that this statement is the first comment on the story at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76034 so I could have saved myself the typing!

That's OK

by R. Isible

Wed May 17, 2006 19:17

I think for once this is something that bears repeating as their own words are being lost in a morasse of claim and counter claim. It's notable that what they say is being ignored by many in favour of hostile supposition. For instance many asked "why not hungerstrike in a mosque" when there was a clear quote taken by Lorna Reid, Irish Independent in which the men said they chose the cathedral because Ireland was a Christian country.

It would be useful for those hostile to the men to listen to / read what they have to say above and then consider that Afghanistan is a very, very dangerous country right now. Probably one of the worst in the world. I can't believe that there is any question about them being sent back. This is one of the most egregiously simple cases imaginable.

Points from the interview with knowledgeable Afghani man

by anon

Wed May 17, 2006 22:28

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/76080&comment_limit=0&c...49448

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/main.wav -too long for word for word sorry, mistake are mine.

He was keen for the UN to take interest in the issue, as they were a body who so often declare on issues re the ME.

see
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=183004378&p...x5x84

He believes that the UNHCR did intervene in the Belgian cases.

He mentions other Afhgan refugees in centres/hostels in Sligo, Longford, Cork, Tralee, Waterford may come to support.

He begins to explain how when Pakistan was seperated that many Afghanis were on the wrong side of that line and this is where there is still conflict in Wazistan.

The asylum process had confusion over documents and mistakes with conversion between Islamic and Persian calenders so they asserted that their interview statements were incorrect and was a major issue, and that 2 of the men simply had not proper translation and the translators available could not understand the mens dialects.

The men come from up to 17 of 27 provinces of Afghanistan.

The war comes home eh?

good sense

by muireann

Thu May 18, 2006 11:21

The hunger-strikers wanted the UN to take an interest in their case. It has, and through its representative in Ireland it has made its position crystal clear.
Having sought the opinion of the UN, they should now heed its advice.

In all the gung-ho of the refugee-supporters groups to face down their bete-noire, McDowell, two things seem to have been forgotton:

1. Some of the people in this group (and the ones most likely to suffer long-term damage to their health by this action) are minors.

2. This group has chosen the one form of protest that the authorities of this state have never succumbed to and which has always, in the many times it has been tried by Republican groups and others, failed utterly.

The Irish supporters of this group MUST use whatever influence they have with the strikers to stop this action before a tragedy happens. They must encourage the strikers to re-engage with the asylum-process, or where there are grounds, challenge their refusal of status through the courts.

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Afghan's describe reasons for their action

Comments (4 of 4)