[fse-esf] A call for an Anti-war, Anti-U.S, Nuclear Disarmament Movement

[Pierre Rousset]

Dear friends,

I have been asked to froward this statement to the European social 
movements.

It is also online on ESSF website, together with many other articles on 
this question:

http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article3724

In solidarity,

Pierre Rousset

-------------

Statement on North Korea's Nuclear Test: A call for an Anti-war, 
Anti-U.S, Nuclear Disarmament Movement

  Opposing war and violence on the Korean Peninsula and around the 
world, in the name of all people who wish for peace and democracy, we 
assert the following:

1. We condemn the hypocrisy of the United Nations’ sanctions against 
North Korea and the real threat posed by the United States’ nuclear 
hegemony.

  The majority of UN Security Council members including the U.S. have 
carried out fearful and deadly nuclear tests and have thousands of 
nuclear weapons. To present, the U.S. has carried out 1,127 nuclear 
tests, of which 217 were ground tests. The USSR carried out 969 tests, 
France 210, the U.K and China, 45 each.

  The sanctions imposed by UN resolution 1718 are based on a double 
standard which holds that the actions of the “great powers” are 
legitimate while those of other countries are not. Moreover, while 
Israel, which is under the U.S.'s protection, carried out a nuclear 
test in 1979 and has hundreds of nuclear missiles, the U.S. has never 
insisted on sanctions against it.

  All these facts demonstrate that the UN sanctions resolution against 
North Korea is explicitly hypocritical and is only a device for 
reinforcing the great powers' nuclear hegemony. Indeed, it is these 
states who are the principal promoters of world-wide nuclear 
proliferation


2. We oppose all measures to strengthen sanctions against North Korea 
based on the UN resolution.


  Economic sanctions might be called a 'silent air strike'. It is a fact 
that economic sanctions, which have become rapidly more prevalent after 
the Cold War, have caused more casualties than Weapons of Mass 
Destruction. For example, in Iraq, tens of thousands of people, most of 
whom were children, died from economic sanctions, which were imposed 
from 1991 to 2001.

  It is clear that economic sanctions, which strike indiscriminately, 
are in fact an attack against civilians and use human suffering and 
starvation as weapons of war. We must oppose all economic sanctions 
that target everyday people. All economic sanctions imposed by 
imperialist countries, not only those targeting North Korea, but also 
those targeting the Middle East, Latin America and other countries 
around the world, should be stopped immediately.


3. We call for an immediate end to the exceedingly dangerous 
confrontation between the U.S. and North Korea and oppose nuclear 
armament throughout East Asia and the Pacific Rim, most especially the 
armament of U.S.


  The possession of nuclear weapons, the ultimate goal of which is the 
indiscriminate extermination of life, is never justifiable. Further, 
the possession of nuclear weapons itself induces war and gives rise to 
cold war-like posturing and fanatical militarism.
  Every attempt to further stimulate nuclear competition in East Asia on 
the ground of responding to North Korea's nuclear test must be stopped. 
We must send a clear message that nuclear armament is not justified or 
acceptable to all the powers in East Asia who are currently raising 
their voices about militarization, including conservative forces in 
South Korea, militaristic powers in Japan and warlike powers in China 
and Taiwan.


4. We must eliminate all potential causes of war from South Korea.


  In the face of rapidly rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula it is 
South Korea who should be first to eliminate the factors pointing to 
war. Currently, the policies of South Korea’s Roh administration are 
objectively increasing the risk of war.

  The Roh administration actively supports the U.S.'s attempt to 
increase its capacity to carry out war by accepting the U.S. plan for 
Strategic Flexibility and allowing the repositioning of U.S forces in 
South Korea and the U.S. base expansion in Pyeong-Taek.
  The Roh government is using the transfer of wartime operational 
control from the U.S. as grounds to increases weapons build-up 
tremendously.
  It is therefore moving forward with the plan to introduce the AEGIS 
warship and PAC-3 missile as part of Missile Defense(MD) System.


  We assert the necessity of arms reduction in Korea, the withdrawal of 
U.S. troops and the dissolution of Korea-U.S warlike military alliance. 
We not only oppose South Korea’s participation in the Weapons of Mass 
Destruction Proliferation Security Initiative(PSI), which is currently 
inducing armed conflict with North Korea, but the whole initiative in 
its entirety.

  We must use our heartfelt desire for peace and collective strength to 
end the U.S. war- threat and nuclear armament in East Asia.

- End the nuclear confrontation on the Korean Peninsula!
  - No to the U.S.’s imperialistic nuclear hegemony!
  - No to UN sanctions against North Korea! No to PSI!
  - Withdraw the U.S forces from Korea! Dissolve the Korea-U.S. war 
alliance!
  - Abolish Strategic Flexibility! Stop the expansion of the U.S base in 
Pyeong-Taek!

October 25, 2006
  PSSP (People's Solidarity for Social Progress)

  Contact:
  4th. Fl. Shinsung BLDG, 8-48, Galwoeldong, Yongsangu, Seoul, Koera
  Tel.: +82-2-778-4001 Fax: +82-2-778-4006
  E-mail: pssp at jinbo.net
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