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Establishment of Parliamentary Group for Western Sahara in Australia

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Canberra (Australia) May 15, 2011 (SPS) - A group of Australian parliamentarians, NGOs, trade unions, human rights organizations and academics have established on Wednesday a Parliamentary Group of Friendship with Western Sahara, in the presence of the Saharawi human rights activist from occupied territories, Aicha Dahan, and Ambassadors accredited to Australia.

During the ceremony, the Saharawi activist Aicha Dahane spoke about the grave human rights abuses committed by the Moroccan regime in occupied Western Sahara, urging the Australian parliamentarians to support the Saharawi people until reaches its right to self-determination.

From his part the Polisario Front representative in Australia, Mr. Fadel Kamal, appreciated this initiative considering it as a “great step to increase awareness about the Saharawi cause in Australia.”

“What the Saharawis want is just an opportunity to exercise their inalienable right of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions and international legality,” he said.

He regretted that the UN Security Council failed to extend the mandate of MIURSO to include human rights monitoring “due to France’s objection that reflected a double standard of a country claims to advocate for human rights and liberty.”

The Saharawi representative also regretted that Australian companies continue to exploit Western Sahara natural resources in “violation of international law and the company’s ethical and moral obligations.”

On other hand, member of the House of Representatives from the Labor Party, Ms. Janelle Saffin, expressed her full support to the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence, alarming to the graveness of human rights situation in Western Sahara. (SPS)

089/090/000 151009 MAY 11 SPS