Petition for peaceful resolution, PMA

10 October 2001

The first batch of 1,140 signatures on the petition calling for peaceful resolution were handed in to parliament today. They were presented to Keith Locke (Green party Foreign Affairs spokesperson and member of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee) after Matt Robson (Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control) decided after Monday's Cabinet meeting that he was not able to accept the petition.

There will be further presentations of this petition to parliament - the next deadline for counting is Wednesday, 17 October. Please continue to collect signatures, and post them back to us! Although the bombing has now started, the three demands of the petition are still valid - they are things the NZ government could do at any time and we hope that time will be very soon. The text of the petition is copied below.

You can print off a copy at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/pet001.htm

Petition calling for peaceful resolution

"We, the undersigned, are stunned and appalled at the tragedy of the attacks which took place in New York and Washington on 11 September, and the grief and suffering of all those whose loved ones were killed and injured. We are horrified at the threat to more innocent people's lives as the military forces of the United States and allies mass for war. Accordingly:

• we urge the NZ government to give no military support for vengeance;
• we further urge that the New Zealand government promote and support a peaceful path being followed to establish the guilt of those responsible for the attacks, and to punish them for their crimes;
• in addition, we urge that the New Zealand government initiate and support positive ways of reducing the threat of terrorism, in particular in improving the social and economic conditions of the peoples of the world.

Matching terror with terror is not the answer."

Next deadline for signed petition forms to be returned is 17 October 2001, signatures will also be happily accepted after that date.

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