The Anti War Coalition of Malaysia, comprising of political parties and non-governmental organisations, has strongly condemned in a press statement, the recent Israel's bombardments on Palestine and Lebanon, which has claimed hundreds of innocent civilian lives and cause thousands suffering from injuries, including the latest killings of four unarmed United Nations observers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland. Suara Rakyat Malaysia – SUARAM – FORUM-ASIA's member organisation in Malaysia, is part of the coalition.

The Anti War Coalition of Malaysia, comprising of political parties and non-governmental organizations, strongly condemns the recent Israel's bombardments on Palestine and Lebanon, which has claimed hundreds of innocent civilian lives and cause thousands suffering from injuries, including the latest killings of four unarmed United Nations observers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland.

According to BBC, about 140 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since Israel launched its aggression on Palestine. More than 380 Lebanese and 42 Israelis have died in two weeks of conflict, which began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on 12 July.

We regret that the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is invited to attend and address the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. Her presence does not help to promote world peace and especially the regional security in the Middle East, in fact her hard line and hawkish foreign policy has consistently promoted confrontation in many parts of the world.

This is clearly revealed in the blatant endorsement of the Zionist Israel aggression on Palestine and Lebanon by the US and the kidnapping of eight cabinet ministers and twenty-one Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members who are democraticly elected in a free and fair election. The Israel's aggression on Palestine and Lebanon and the indiscriminate killings of the civilians is a crime against humanity. The invasion of Palestine and Lebanon by the Israelis force is as unlawful as the invasion of Iraq by the President Bush of the United States under international law, which outlaw unilateral action by any state that may breach international peace. The killings of civilians, including children and women by the Israel force are a serious violation of the Geneva Convention that provides protection to civilians during armed conflict and war. However, Rice has refused to allow the UN Security Council to act and stop the Israel aggression.

On the issue of Iran and North Korea, Rice’s foreign policy has constantly provoking international crisis by threatening war with North Korea and Iran and destabilize the region.

Rice has also played a major role in the US global war on terror, which led to the outraging scandal of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and Abu Ghraib detention camp. The war on terror sets back human rights worldwide by endorsing detention without trial in dealing with terrorist suspects, legitimizing draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Malaysia.

We call on ASEAN to maintain its neutrality and reject the Rice’s agenda of war and the US imperialist agenda to dominate the world. ASEAN and the international community cannot tolerate the unilateral aggression of Israel and the United States and must now act quickly to prevent the conflict in the Middle East from escalating into a full blown war that threatens the regional security and international peace.

The Anti War Coalition demands that:

• Israel immediately stops its attacks on Palestine and Lebanon.
• The United States immediately stops its occupation of Iraq and pull out its troops from Iraq.
• Israel and the US to be held accountable for the crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression and be prosecuted under international law.
• The United States to close down the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention camp
• Malaysia government not to negotiate free trade agreement with the US that will further promote its imperialist agenda and economic hegemony at the expense of Malaysians.

STOP THE WAR IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON ! US OUT OF IRAQ ! NO TO FTA !

For more information and comment, please contact:

Arutchelvan, Secretary General of Parti Sosialis Malaysia – 019-2537791
Tian Chua, Information Chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat – 012-2841025
Yap Swee Seng, Executive Director of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) – 012-2015272