MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 27 March 2020
Fight Virus not Wars, UN Urges
• UN calls for Immediate Global Ceasefire on Major Wars
• End the Sickness of War and Fight the Disease that Ravages
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) supports the call issued by the United Nations (UN) for an immediate global ceasefire on major wars ravaging across the world.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued this call on Monday 23 March urging countries and people from all corners of the world to join forces to battle the coronavirus – COVID 19 pandemic.
Guterres described that “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war…End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world”.
“The biggest threats facing humanity are the coronavirus, climate crisis and major/nuclear wars” stated IPAN spokesperson Dr Alison Broinowski.
“There is no reason or justification for the deployment of foreign troops around the world and the presence of foreign military forces only creates and aggravates global theatres of endless wars” Dr Broinowski continued.
The UN’s call for a global ceasefire will require foreign military forces to be sent back to their home countries. The huge financial and technological resources and costs invested in wars have to be directed to the under-funded and under-resourced public health systems desperately battling with the deadly coronavirus (COVID–19)
To that end, IPAN calls on the Australian government to bring our military home forces from battle zones in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The billions of dollars of Australian people’s taxes supporting US global wars are immediately needed here for health and medical facilities, life-saving equipment, and protection of our frontline health workers battling coronavirus.
In addition, IPAN calls on the Australian Government to prevent the entry of US Marines into Darwin for their annual deployment as they may bring the virus into Darwin.
Australia’s immediate priorities must be to battle coronavirus and provide economic support for millions of workers facing unemployment, homelessness and poverty, not supporting U.S. wars.—–ENDS—–
Media Interviews: Contact Dr Alison Broinowski 0422 608 580 IPAN Media Liaison: Kathryn Kelly, contact 0417 269 984 |
