IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT – PRESS RELEASE 22 NOV. 2011
IAWM EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH THE PROTESTERS IN EGYPT AND CALLS FOR THE END OF REPRESSIVE MILITARY RULE
IRISH ANTI WAR MOVEMENT – PRESS RELEASE 22 NOV. 2011
IAWM EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH THE PROTESTERS IN EGYPT AND CALLS FOR THE END OF REPRESSIVE MILITARY RULE
In a statement released today the Irish Anti-war Movement expressed solidarity with the protesters in Egypt, called for the end of repressive military rule there and called on western governments, including the Irish Government, to support the demands of the protesters.
The statement noted that the Supreme Military Council, the SCAF, is merely a continuation of the hated Mubarak regime that has no intention of allowing the Egyptian people to govern themselves. This was indicated by its recent attempt to curb the powers that any new civilian government would have and to allow the military to have overriding powers. This is also supported by the recently released Amnesty International report that noted that “by August 2011, Amnesty said the council admitted about 12,000 civilians had been tried by military courts and at least 13 sentenced to death.”
Jim Roche PRO of the IAWM said:
“The horrific violence meted out by the thuggish military police in the last few days against protesters who are clearly frustrated with the slow pace of change since last February is clear evidence, if any were needed, that the Supreme Military Council is just as bad as the Mubarak regime. In fact it is a continuation of that regime in another form. Protesters have been shot dead, some beaten violently, others have suffered horrendous wounds from buckshot, rubber bullets and from an extreme form of tear gas being used, the symptoms of which has puzzled medical staff.”
He continued:
“The demands of the protesters must now be conceded. The SCAF must step down. The entire apparatus of the hated Mubarak regime must be dismantled and the people of Egypt must be allowed to organize their society along civilian lines based on universal human rights for all. The oppressive detention, torture and execution regime of the SCAF must end.”
He also said:
“Once again the brave people of Egypt have made huge sacrifices in struggling for their human rights and for a better kind of society. Once again Western leaders sit on the fence expressing ambiguity at best and hostility at worst to the demands of the protesters. Clearly they are waiting to see what happens and hoping for another form of ‘stability’ and the consolidation of the power of some military leader they can do business with. It is shocking that the US and other western powers are still selling arms to the Egyptian military and to other despotic regimes in the region.”
He concluded by saying:
“The IAWM calls on the Irish Government to support the demands of the Egyptian protesters and to call openly for the military regime in Cairo to step down.”
END
For further info contact:
Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Chair IAWM, Tel. 086 781 4520
Jim Roche, PRO Steering Committee IAWM, Tel. 087 6472737
John Molyneux 085 7356424, Steering Committee IAWM,
www.irishantiwar.org
