Non Aligned Movement spreekt zich uit.

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NAM Summit To Press For Action Against Israeli War Crimes

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Leaders of over 100 developing countries holding their two-day summit here from tomorrow are expected to press for action, including by the International Criminal Court, against war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians in their occupied territories.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) leaders are also expected to strongly condemn human rights violations by occupying Israeli forces against the Palestinians, especially the killing of civilians, extrajudicial executions, wanton destruction of homes, infrastructure and agricultural lands.

Conference sources said the summit was taking place amidst a dire humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories due to the continued destruction of Palestinian society and the Palestinian Authority by Israeli forces since September 2000.

Israel had reportedly imposed collective punishments on the entire Palestinian population, including imposing severe restrictions on the movements of people and goods, resulting in their socio-economic debilitation.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will not be here for the summit despite intense diplomatic efforts, especially by host Malaysia, to get him to come in the face of continued obstruction by Israel on his personal movement.

The sources said that while regretting Arafat's absence, the leaders were expected to express their solidarity with him as the elected leader and symbol of the struggle of the Palestinian people.

They would also express support for the necessary international presence in the occupied Palestinian terrritory to provide protection for the civilian population, while asking the United Nations Security Council to fulfil its responsibilities towards the question of Palestine and the situation in West Asia.

Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) legal advisor Michael Tarazi told reporters here earlier this week that over 2,000 Palestinians, mostly below the age of 17, had been killed by Israeli forces in the past two years in the occupied territories.

Other issues expected to feature in the leaders' statement on Palestine were Israel's confiscation of Palestinian lands and buildings and the transfer of Israeli nationals to the occupied territory.

In their view, this policy of "settler colonialism" is the main danger to achieving a peaceful solution to the Palestinian conflict and must be immediately stopped and reversed. -- BERNAMA

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Set Up Peacekeeping Force In Palestine, NAM Urges UN


KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will continue to pressure the United Nations to establish a peacekeeping force to put an end to the protracted conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the UN should take a more meaningful action including setting up a peacekeeping force so that both sides could negotiate to resolve the escalating violence in the region.

"Whether this is accepted or not, that's another matter. We see that the Palestinian people face a lot of problems because every action to be aken against the Israelis, the UN will ask Israel first whether they agree or otherwise," he told reporters on the sidelines of the 13th NAM Summit at the Putra World Trade Centre here Sunday.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia, which did not understand the different treatment accorded to Palestine and Israel, wants the UN to be directly involved to resolve the West Asian crisis.

Meanwhile, the NAM ministerial committee tasked with preparing a special statement on Palestine, emerged from their meeting today, saying that the draft of the document was ready to be submitted to NAM leaders at their summit Monday and Tuesday.

Syed Hamid said the meeting, comprising 10 foreign ministers of NAM member countries, among others, moved a resolution to condemn the violence and brutality inflicted by Israelis on Palestinians.

He said NAM wanted the international community, including the superpower like the United States, to take more concrete actions to end the conflict and not merely pass resolutions and motions without solid action.

Syed Hamid said among issues raised at the meeting chaired by South Africa were the countries that would send troops to join the peacekeeping force if the world body agreed to set up the force.

"Malaysia will contribute if there is a peacekeeping force (for Palestine) under the auspices of the UN," he said.

On the contents of the Special Statement on Palestine to be issued atthe end of the summit, Syed Hamid said it would, among others, stress on the need to re-start the stalled peace talks between Palestine and Israel.

The government would remain responsible for matters like domestic politics, international relations, legal system and general policy in economy and monetary, security and public order, she said.

Megawati added that cooperation appeared to be a must in a rapidly changing and increasingly globalised world.

"In fact, cooperation in mutually beneficial fields can be done, no matter how simple or small it is. It is my conviction that however limited the resources at our disposal, still substantial and concrete cooperation can be done," she said.

She also called on the NAM members to make the Technical Cooperation Among Developing Countries and South-South Cooperation schemes clearer and more effective so that they could be applicable to and operational in the business community.

"The international community must stand up and take a position. This (aggression against Palestinians) must be ended and reversed immediately. "Otherwise, I don't see how a peaceful settlement could be achieved in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Al-Qedwa said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddumi said NAM should do its best to initiate actions and not just pass resolutions to see to it that the Palestinian people were protected and the Israelis moved out of the Occupied Territories.

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De Non Alligned Movement bestaat uit 114 landen, meest derde wereld landen.