Action Alert!

Sent by Jane Haasch

Please post for PFP from Jon Petersen regarding the Sahrawi people. They may be too late to call about this but it updates us on what is going on with this situation. I called this morning and got through.

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From: Jon Petersen [mailto:jon@usharbor.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 8:40 AM
Subject: FW: Letter

Hi All:

I just received this e-mail. The hour is late, but it you have time to call your congressman this morning that would be great. Congressman Green's phone number is 202 225 5665. I just called and got through with no problem.

Peace and Joy!



jon


Please join Congressman Pitts and Congressman Payne in sending the following letter to Secretary Rice regarding the issue of Western Sahara. Should you have any questions or if your Member would like to join the letter, please contact Karin Finkler (Rep. Pitts, 5-2411) or Noelle Lusane (Rep. Payne, 5-3436).

Deadline is noon on Wednesday, November 9, 2005.


November 3, 2005

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:

We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the conflict over Western Sahara and the recent human rights violations committed by Moroccan government officials in the disputed territory. We respectfully request your immediate intervention with the government of Morocco.

As you many know from a previous letter of July 29, 2005, since May 2005 an escalation in the repression by Morocco against the Sahrawi population has been taken place, scores of Sahrawis are in jail, some of them suffering from a prolonged hunger strike. Furthermore, on October 30, 2005, a young Sahrawi, Lembarki Hamdi, died as a result of torture by the Moroccan security forces in El Aaiun, the capital of the Western Sahara. This tragic event is well documented by the international media, Moroccan media, and international and Moroccan human rights organizations.

For the last 30 years, the Sahrawi people have conducted themselves according to international law and legal mechanisms in order to implement their internationally-recognized right to self-determination. They represent an example of resistance that is a model for peaceful protest. Unfortunately, the international community, including the United States, has failed to fulfill its obligations to this population. We are deeply concerned that the passivity and failure of the international community and the United Nations could cause the Sahrawis to become more radical.



The current situation confirms the importance of strongly demanding that Morocco accept the peace plan that was presented by former Secretary of State James Baker and was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council. We call on the Administration to send a clear message to the Kingdom of Morocco that its behavior is unacceptable and that those responsible for the torture be brought to justice. In addition, we request that the Administration direct the UN mission in the Western Sahara to protect the human rights of the Sahrawi people.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,