PRESS RELEASE
London, 8 January 2003

800 people Call For Conscientious Objection to War and War Preparations

War Resisters' International calls for conscientious objection in light of mobilisation of British Armed Forces

While the British Minister of Defence, Geoff Hoon, announced the mobilisation of British Armed Forces for the war on Iraq - including the call-up of 1,500 reservists - war resisters all over the world call for conscientious objection. In a statement by War Resisters' International, signed by more than 800 people from all over the word, it says:

"War Resisters' International urges
all soldiers - in whichever forces they are supposed to fight: follow your conscience and refuse to take part: apply for conscientious objector status, refuse orders, desert, Say No!
all those involved in preparations for war, in administration or in arms factories: refuse to do so, Say No!
journalists and the media asked to promote war: refuse to do so, insist on writing and broadcasting the uncensored truth, Say No!
all those who pay tax: demand that your taxes are used for peace, withhold the proportion of tax used for war, Say No!
its members and everyone: support those refusing to participate in war and preparations for war, get involved in direct nonviolent resistance against war!"
(see  http://www.wri-irg.org/statemnt/sayno.htm)

War Resisters' International urges members of any Armed Forces not to make any decision without thinking through the consequences. Contact appropriate counselling services:

For members of the British Armed Forces:
AT EASE helpine, Sunday 5pm-7pm. +44-20 7247 5164, EMail  atease@advisory.freeserve.co.uk

For members of the US Forces:
The GI Rights Hotline, +1-800-3949544, +1-215-5634620, Fax +1-510-4652459
630 Twentieth Street #302 Oakland, CA 94612  girights@objector.org,  http://girights.org

For other countries, please contact your local WRI affiliates (see  http://www.wri-irg.org/cgi/datafeed.cgi)

For further information please contact Andreas Speck @ WRI, Tel +44-20-7278 4040

Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International