Datum:
03.07.2000
|
AutorIn: United for Intercultural Action
|
Anschrift:
UNITED Tel.: 0031/20/6834778
Fax: 0031/20/6834582 e-mail: united@united.non-profit.nl
Postanschrift : Postbus 4131000 AK Amsterdam Netherlands
|
United for Intercultural Action
Open Letter to the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in
Lisbon
At the moment United for Intercultural Action is holding a conference in
Lisbon with the title Resisting Violence Against Minorities (see
Público July 3, 2000). 76 dedicated persons from 26 European
countries have come together as representatives of 68 organisations in
order to discuss ways of acting against the numerous racist and fascist
assaults as well as against state discrimination. A third of the
participants are refugees and migrants. One of our fellow activists and
colleagues Harald Glöde was arrested on December 19, 1999, following
the order of the Federal Prosecution. We have come to the Embassy of the
Federal Republic of Germany to declare that solidarity with refugees and
migrants is not a crime. The anti-racist activities and actions of
solidarity with refugees which Harald Glöde and other arrested people
have been accused of are not a matter of court. The restrictions of freedom
of migration, the drawing of new borders and the construction of Fortress
Europe have led to many different protests, actions and forms of
resistence. The present incriminations in the Federal Republic of Germany
will neither intimidate us nor anybody else. We have brought the topic of
these arrests to the UNITED network containing more than 500
associations.
One of the topics of discussion at the present conference is the
Schengen policy. People from Eastern and Southern Europe who wanted to
attend this conference are always confronted with huge and often absurd
difficulties when trying to get a visa. It is especially the fatal
consequences of Fortress Europe which form the topic of our conference in
their humane and political dimensions. UNITED has documented since 1993
that 2063 people died trying to get to Western Europe, or when chased,
arrested or deported by the police. The most recent tragedy we mourn is the
death of 58 people on their way via Dover to Great Britain on July 19,
2000.
The government of the Federal Republic of Germany has not only along
with the French government- played a prominent part in the development of
the Schengen Agreement, but is today still one of the most important motors
of the machinery for deporting refugees and incriminating people. UNITED
has been for years, along with the Berliner Forschungsgesellschaft für
Flucht und Migration (FFM), with ist activist Harald Glöde and with
other NGOs raising awareness to and protested against this state policy of
denying rights and to the systematic violation of human rights concerning
refugees and migrants. On the initiative of the Federal Prosecution Harald
Glöde (FFM) and others were arrested on December 19, 1999, and the
period of time following. Since then the arrested persons have been in
different prisons without accusation and under especially hard and poor
conditions. The reason for arrest was the accusation uttered by a so-called
witness of the State. They are accused of membership in the Revulutionary
Cells as well as the Red Zora and participation in anti-racist actions
showing solidarity with refugees in the years 1986/87 which have expired
mostly.
For the death of much more than 2063 people who died on their flight to
Europe due to the Schengen border policy, somebody have to take the
responsabilities, in the future.
We are now here in the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany whose
foreign minister once used to be himself in militant opposition against the
repressive model of Germany . We neither expect the former militant of
Frankfurt Josef Fischer to remember his past nor do we fear the hatred of
this upcomer.
We will forward your answer to the participants of our conference and to
the press.
We demand release of Harald Glöde and the others who have been
arrested in this context. Solidarity is no a crime!
Geert Ates director of UNITED in the name of the Congress
|