If you're Filipino and you support the Iraqi people's right to
self-determination, please consider signing the letter below. If you agree,
please spare 2 minutes to forward the letter to our Ambassador to the UN,
Laura Baja, at
misunphil@aol.com.
As you must have read, the Philippines is currently the Chair for the month
of June, 2004 of the UN Security Council and we should therefore take this
chance to have a say on the ongoing negotiations on Iraq's future. We should
take this opportunity to voice our support for genuine sovereignty for the
Iraqi people.
Please don't forget to sign your name or organization when you forward the
letter to Ambassador Baja. And please circulate to your networks.
============================================
4 June 2004
Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
CC: Ambassador Lauro Baja Jr
Permanent Representative
Philippine Mission to the United Nations
Your Excellency:
Assuming the presidency of the United Nations Security Council is a proud
and momentous occasion for the Philippines. But it is also an immense
responsibility and a rare opportunity for our country to influence the
course of events in the world today. As Filipinos, we share in relishing
this moment and, as citizens of the international community, we welcome this
duty to make difficult decisions affecting global peace and security. As we
fulfill our role, let us bear in mind that our actions in the Security
Council should not just represent the will and voice of the Filipino people,
but likewise of the entire international community.
Today, the most important issue of peace and justice facing the United
Nations is that posed by the invasion and occupation of Iraq. As president
of the Council, the Philippines is uniquely positioned to help the Iraqis
regain independence and restore respect for international law in the world.
To do this, the Philippines should insist on and only vote in favor of a
resolution that includes:
§ An acknowledgment of the illegality of the invasion and occupation
of Iraq
The weapons of mass destruction are nowhere to be found and the stated
justification for waging war has proven to be a lie. The United Nations must
not accord legitimacy to the occupation even if the act has already been
committed. The Iraqis deserve a public apology and the world demands
accountability.
§ A timetable for the complete and unconditional withdrawal of all
coalition troops from Iraq.
The illegal occupation must immediately end and all the foreign troops
including Philippine troops must immediately withdraw. A multinational force
should only be deployed to Iraq upon the invitation of a democratically
installed Iraqi government and should be placed under the command of the
Iraqi people.
§ A demand for the
United States and members of its coalition to fulfil their obligation as
occupying powers in reconstructing Iraq.
Under the Geneva Convention, the occupying powers are legally and morally
obliged to bear the full cost of humanitarian assistance, reconstruction,
compensation, and reparations to the Iraqis for the physical, social,
economic, ecological, and cultural destruction caused by the war. Iraqs oil
revenues should not be used to foot the bill of the reconstruction and all
that the Iraqis are entitled to should not be characterized as aid or a
loan.
§ A genuinely independent and democratic political process for the
selection and installation of a government that is truly representative of
the Iraqi people.
The Iraqis must be allowed to fully exercise their right to
self-determination without any external interference or pressure. They
should be free to choose the manner of constituting their government. Any
decision about the need for international assistance and the form it will
take rests solely with the Iraqi people.
§ A commitment to the restoration of unconditional and unlimited
sovereignty to the Iraqi government by the occupying powers.
The Iraqis have absolute and sovereign right over their territory and over
their resources. Any previous decisions or laws enacted by the occupying
forces shall not be binding on the Iraqi people. They should have complete
control over their oil revenues.
A UN resolution without all of these demands will not solve the problems in
Iraq because it will not end the occupation and will not restore the Iraqis¹
sovereignty. The current draft circulated by the United States satisfies
none of the requirements above. Should said resolution be tabled for a vote,
the Philippines must, without hesitation, vote NO. To vote in favor would be
to consent to the continuing illegal occupation of Iraq and be complicit in
depriving the Iraqi people of genuine freedom and democracy.
Rarely is the Philippines given the position to play a decisive role in
international affairs. We should not forfeit this opportunity. Last year
small countries such as Angola, Guinea, and Cameroon earned their place in
history and gained worldwide respect for refusing to bow down to the United
States pressure for them to sanction an illegal war.
As we assume the presidency of the United Nations Security Council, the
Philippines should stand proudly for global peace with social justice.
(original signed)
(SIGN YOUR NAME OR YOUR ORGANIZATION'S NAME HERE)
Copy furnished:
His Excellency Teofisto Guingona Vice President, Republic of the Philippines
Ambassador Laura Baja, Jr Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the
United Nations Thru the Department of Foreign Affairs, Manila
Ambassador Delia Albert Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Manila
Hon. Manuel Villar, Jr. Chairperson Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Hon Jose Apolinario Lozada, Jr. Chairperson House Foreign Affairs Committee
Batasan Complex, Quezon City
