India-Pakistan Arms Embargo Demo
CAAT | 31.05.2002 11:00
Sat 8th June - Demonstrate at Downing Street. Call for an immediate arms embargo on India and Pakistan.
The India - Pakistan Crisis
Call for A Full Arms Embargo Now!
Demonstrate at Downing Street
Saturday 8th June 2002 Noon – 2pm
With regular outbreaks of conflict and tension continuing to rise between India and Pakistan, there is an urgent need for an immediate and full arms embargo on the region. Whilst the UK government has sent Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to act as a peacemaker between the two countries, it has yet to take the obvious step of suspending all sales of arms and military equipment to the two governments. This sends a mixed message to the countries about the acceptability of their behaviour.
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) is organising a demonstration to call on the government to act as a real peacemaker in this time of international crisis. Tony Blair’s government needs to:
1) order an immediate and full arms embargo on the two countries;
2) do all it can to reduce tension between the two countries;
3) urge Kofi Annan and the UN to broker a lasting settlement.
Whilst UK government spokespeople have said that they will look at each application for an arms export licence on a “case-by case basis” (implying that a de facto embargo is in operation) this really isn’t good enough. It seems that the prospect of the £1bn BAE Systems Hawk deal with India is clouding the government’s judgement on this issue.
We must have a clearly articulated arms embargo to ensure that UK does not further fan the flames of war in Kashmir.
Join us to call for a full arms embargo on India and Pakistan and for the government to act as a real peacemaker – not arms broker – to the region.
Downing Street
Saturday June 8th Noon – 2pm
Campaign Against Arms Trade: 020 7281 0297
Call for A Full Arms Embargo Now!
Demonstrate at Downing Street
Saturday 8th June 2002 Noon – 2pm
With regular outbreaks of conflict and tension continuing to rise between India and Pakistan, there is an urgent need for an immediate and full arms embargo on the region. Whilst the UK government has sent Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to act as a peacemaker between the two countries, it has yet to take the obvious step of suspending all sales of arms and military equipment to the two governments. This sends a mixed message to the countries about the acceptability of their behaviour.
Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) is organising a demonstration to call on the government to act as a real peacemaker in this time of international crisis. Tony Blair’s government needs to:
1) order an immediate and full arms embargo on the two countries;
2) do all it can to reduce tension between the two countries;
3) urge Kofi Annan and the UN to broker a lasting settlement.
Whilst UK government spokespeople have said that they will look at each application for an arms export licence on a “case-by case basis” (implying that a de facto embargo is in operation) this really isn’t good enough. It seems that the prospect of the £1bn BAE Systems Hawk deal with India is clouding the government’s judgement on this issue.
We must have a clearly articulated arms embargo to ensure that UK does not further fan the flames of war in Kashmir.
Join us to call for a full arms embargo on India and Pakistan and for the government to act as a real peacemaker – not arms broker – to the region.
Downing Street
Saturday June 8th Noon – 2pm
Campaign Against Arms Trade: 020 7281 0297
CAAT
e-mail:
enquiries@caat.demon.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.caat.demon.co.uk
Comments
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Off-key, misplaced, and too late, sleepy CAAT
31.05.2002 15:49
Here we are, with two sophisticated atomic powers about to blast each other into oblivion and the CAAT complains about Hawk jets and the tiresome bankrupt notion of getting Koffin 'UN' Annan to 'do something'. By the way, June 8th sems a bit late. Shouldnt it have been last week?
Unfortunately, groups like CAAT are a modern day equivalent of the victorian philanthos who used to campaign against freebooters selling pistols and whisky to the 'natives'. Frankly, it misses the point entirely.
What is at stake here is not a morally bad goverenment in No 10 selling to naieve 'natives' but the very question of national independence. At stake is the right of Pakistan to remain independent from India (always condemned as a mistake in Commonwealth hagiography; why ?) and the matter of Kashmir gaining independence from either power. Also (of course) is the question of these nations determining their future without being imposed upon by the USA, which is dropping fuel-air bombs (the most powerful non-atomic type known) on neighbouring Afganistan (which must ineveitably affect the situation in Pakistan. What else did anyone expect ?)
Has anyone attempted to rally the Asian communities here in GB to take a decisive unified stand (Muslims Hindus and
Sikhs all against nuclear war and the USA's imperialism ? That might be getting somewhere.)
Q Werty