Monthly Archives: Jun 2007

Dark days in Darfur

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As Blair trolls around Africa on his farewell tour playing dress up withColonel Gaddafi, the situation in Darfur continues to worsen.

We shouldn’t be beating about the bush – this is genocide. The Sudaneseregime is one of the most brutal and destabilising in the world today.Some 400,000 Darfuris have perished due to the measures taken againstthem by the Government of Sudan and allied militias.

Two and a half years ago, Tony Blair took a stand saying that’international focus on Darfur will not go away while the situationremains outstanding’. But that stand was only temporary – for last year,Salah Gosh – the Sudanese security chief who orchestrates the violencein Darfur – was twice "welcomed" to this country.

And this wasn’t another case of the Government failing to keep track ofwho is coming in or out – for he was granted a visa to come and getmedical treatment. What a sickening contrast between the treatment hegot from this country and the treatment he is responsible for dishingout to hundreds of thousands in Darfur.

Our unwillingness to act on violence in Darfur has assured theGovernment of Sudan that it can commit gross violations of human rightswith impunity. The regime in Sudan has played the internationalcommunity for fools. Despite promises the African Union troops have notgot to work – and there are still no UN peacekeepers in Darfur.

Taking action on Darfur

So what is to be done? First and foremost, we need to stop the killing. The AU troops must be deployed. And if we need more leverage – then we need to get China and Russia fully on board.

We need to stop the Sudan Government bombing Darfur with immediate and urgent action to assess the feasibility of a verifiable no-fly zone.

We need an immediate and serious extension of the UN arms embargo.

We need to hit those orchestrating the violence where it hurts: impose travel bans and asset freezes on all the individuals named in the UN’s own Commission of Inquiry and Panel of Experts reports and those named by the International Criminal Court.

We also need to stop the flow of money that Khartoum needs to pay for all this genocide – which means the UK and EU targeting those companies that are providing Sudan with revenue, arms and diplomatic cover.

What we can do for Darfur

But we shouldn’t just wait for others to act. There are actions all usindividuals can and should take too, from lobbying some of the keydecision makers for the above to publicising the need for action andindeed putting pressure on other bodies – such as local councils – whichmay have funds invested with firms that are supporting the Sudaneseregime.

So whilst I am hoping to be called to speak in a debate in Parliament onSudan (which will have taken place by the time you read this), I alsowant to set up a local "Darfur Group" to campaign for effective actionat local, national and international levels.

Just go back a moment and re-read the figure I gave near the start ofthis article: 400,000 killed in Darfur. Exact population figures are(unsurprisingly) hard to get, but Darfur’s population is in the six toseven million range. The UK’s population is around 60 million. So theequivalent would be something approaching 4,000,000 people being killedin the UK – or around 13,000 to 14,000just in Haringey.

Those numbers are almost unbelievably large and completely dwarfanything like the 9/11 tragedy (where New York’s official death toll wasjust short of 3,000).

That’s why thinking about just raising the issue (again) in Parliamentseems somehow quite inadequate. I am determined to campaign activelywith local like-minded people to put pressure on at all levels – on Haringey Council (to ensure their investments aren’t helping sustain the Government inKhartoum), on our Government, the EU, the UN and any government that canput pressure on the Sudanese Government to end this murder.

So – get in touch, let’s start a local group, and let’s do more for Sudan and chip away at that awful sense of the meagreness of the UK’s response to such monstrous brutality.

If we don’t act, who will?

(c) Lynne Featherstone, 2007

International issues: water and Darfur

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Water, water everywhere – but not where it’s needed. Speaking for the Liberal Democrats in the Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries debate in Parliament yesterday, I went on two main themes: firstly that at some point in the future there will be a major war (or wars) over water. Water wars will dominate the next decades as scarce supply send millions into migratory patterns in the developing world.

There are 263 rivers that cross borders – and as the supply shortens the temptation for countries to divert a river their way and cut off the river from another country will become greater and greater.

Back in 1997 the UK sponsored a UN Convention on the Non-Navigational Waterways – which basically put rules around this tinderbox issue to prevent the looming disasters that would arise as countries fought for access to scarce supply. Ten years on – the UK has not ratified the Convention. I asked Hilary Benn when it would be done. He failed to answer – albeit he said that I raised a truly important point. One has to wonder if it was that important – why has Labour failed to see this through?

Second issue I pursued was on the funding we give to the PPIAF (a public private group that is supposed to deliver infrastructure projects in the developing world). I had previously question Benn in Parliament as to why we were funding this organisation as Norway had withdrawn because its projects kept failing. Benn had answered that some projects fail and some succeed – and he would take a look at it. Clearly – no progress had been made by the debate today as he once again simply re-iterated that some projects succeed some fail.

Personally, given the level of funding with tax from our hard-earned wages you would think he would be a little more careful and caring about the effectiveness of that spend. Italy too has now withdrawn.

Later same day – we had a debate on Darfur. For the most part all speakers wrung our hands and demanded instant deployment of the AU / UN troops, a no-fly zone, targeted sanctions, travel bans, asset freezes and some suggestions that China is being pretty damn brave – propping up and supporting the Sudanese Government (thereby perpetuating and paying for the killing fields) when the Beijing Olympics are coming down the track!

We will see what action is taken at the G8 as we are all fed up with fine words as genocide continues unabated.

On Newsnight tonight

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A day latter than I was expecting, but tonight Newsnight ran their piece on vulture funds – including a (brief!) interview with me. If you missed it, you can watch it again on their website (for the next 24 hours only I think).

UPDATE: This link should work for ever (or close enough!).

Crimestoppers caught advertising on illegal radio station

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Sometimes you really can’t make it up! I met with London Turkish Radio (LTR) – who are based in my constuency – last Friday to discuss the very serious problems they are having as a result of a pirate radio station called Bizim FM which is broadcasting illegally.

My understanding is that they have been raided on several occasions but that with only the slightest of pauses, they are broadcasting again almost immediately.

So – I am going to pursue Ofcom as this is ongoing and long-lasting and is damaging the legitimate, licensed voice of the Turkish speaking community as the pirate radio pays no fees, no overheads, etc etc – and is able to undercut hugely on advertising.

And on the advertising they are doing – I was shocked to hear with my own ears two advertisements from Crimestoppers – one of which had the tag line ‘the Metropolitan Police – working for a safer London’ – which were broadcast on the illegal radio station!

I have written to Crimestoppers and to Sir Iain Blair, Met Police Commissioner to basically ask what an earth they think they are doing advertising on pirate radio. And if the answer is to reach into the communities – then I would suggest they do it through the legitimate chanels. I wonder if the Met realise that this is happening?

I don’t know (yet) if the ads for Crimestoppers and the Met Police are free or charged on Bizim – but it cannot be right for the Met to be advertised on a pirate radio station.

As I said – you couldn’t make it up!

Councillors and MP make green promise on World Environment Day

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Haringey councillors Bob Hare and Lyn Weber and Hornsey and Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone are encouraging their constituents to join them in making a promise to the environment to mark World Environment Day 2007 (June 5th).

Cllr Hare, Lib Dem Green Issues spokesperson, comments:

“Climate change is a global issue. But tackling it starts at home. Over a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions come from heating, lighting and running power supplies in our homes. Small actions, such as saving water and switching off the lights can, when taken together, make a big difference. If everyone in the developed world makes even one small change to their daily life to reduce their energy use, such as not leaving the TV on stand-by or overfilling the kettle, that would make a huge difference to our global energy use and the amount of carbon we emit.

Cllr Lyn Weber, Deputy Lib Dem Green Issues spokesperson adds:

“But there is action each of us can take now. This year I am making a personal commitment to recycle more and not to use plastic bags. While this may seem like a pretty small thing, if enough people do it we can save tremendous amounts of energy.

Lynne Featherstone MP for Hornsey and Wood Green adds:

“Of course there is also more the Government should be doing. The Liberal Democrats have set out plans for radically improving home energy efficiency, producing greener electricity and switching taxes from income to pollution and energy use. That is what we would do if we were in Government.

“I hope other local people will join us in making a green promise to mark World Environment Day 2007.”

Haringey Council must support disinvestment from Sudan

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Lynne Featherstone, Hornsey and Wood Green MP has written to Haringey Council urging it to investigate whether Haringey Council’s own investments in any way financially support Sudan, and in those cases they do, withdraw investments of such funds through targeted divestment.

Ms Featherstone also intends to start a local Darfur Action Group and is urging people to get in touch if they are interested in helping setting such a group us by sending an e-mail to lynne@lynnefeatherstone.org.

Ms Featherstone said:

“The regime in Sudan has played the international community for fools. It is time we face up to the ongoing genocide in Darfur and tackle it in any way possible – that means internationally, nationally and locally.

“By ensuring that none of the council’s investments indirectly or directly supports Sudan or companies supporting Sudan, Haringey has a real chance to make a difference as the first British Council to disinvest.

“I will also be setting up a local Darfur Action Group as well so anyone interested to join please get in touch, and let’s do more for Sudan and chip away at that awful sense of the meagreness of the UK’s response to such monstrous brutality. If we don’t act, who will?”

Crimestoppers caught advertising on pirate station

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The crime information line Crimestoppers has been asked to explain why it is advertising on a pirate radio station that has been raided several times by police.

Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone has written to Crimestoppers and Metropolitan Police commissioner Ian Blair about the adverts, which appear on the pirate station Bizim FM.

The revelation came after Lynne Featherstone met with representatives of London Turkish Radio (LTR), a legal radio station based in her constituency which has found itself having to compete against the pirate station.

Commenting, Lynne Featherstone said:

“This is completely unacceptable. I was shocked to hear two advertisements from Crimestoppers – one of which had the tag line ‘the Metropolitan Police; working for a safer London’ – on an illegal radio station.

“Legitimate radio stations, such as London Turkish Radio in my constituency, are fighting a double-whammy of incompetence from the Met and Crimestoppers as well as the seeming inability of Ofcom to tacklepirate radio stations. This sends out the wrong message – that crime does pay.”

Oliver Tambo memorial

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Dashed from Parliament to Albert Road Recreation Ground to get to the meeting on the plans for the Oliver Tambo memorial. What a fantastic scheme. The architect presented the scheme and the thinking behind the scheme and has come up with what I thought was an absolutely brilliant solution – both in terms of its design and physical presence. Moreover – in its conception execution and future – the community and the schools have key roles to play. I was well impressed! Congrats to all involved for their efforts.

Before I left Westminster – did a pre-record for Newsnight. Of course, you never know if you end up on the cutting room floor – but hopefully it will make it. Vulture funds are the topic – but we will see – and I will blog about the substance tomorrow !