Communiqué of the Asia Pacific Regional Meeting of World Peace Council

The Asia Pacific Regional Meeting of World Peace Council has been successfully accomplished in Kathmandu Nepal during 27-28th July 2018. Participated by 44 delegates from seven countries (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Laos, Greece and Nepal), the meeting concluded endorsing future activities till the month of December this year.

The meeting was graced by the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. Ishwor Pokharel and also addressed by the Executive Secretary of WPC Iraklis Tsavdaridis and prominent leaders from the organisations of the participant’s countries.

The meeting expressed deep concern over the continuing deterioration in international situation in general and particular in Asia Pacific Region. The meeting noted that this region also in area second only to Europe in terms of nuclear weapons deployed, new installations created for the stationing of the equipment for the star wars adventurism; it is also a region with an unprecedented imperialist military build-up as is witnessed by the further promotion of the plan to create an Asia’s NATO like alliance and the increasing stationing of US army, the stationing of nuclear weapons in South Korea, the build-up of these forces in South East Asia, the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Golf and the Middle East as well as also in South China Sea. As a result of this, a number of regional conflicts are persistently exacerbating the situation in the region as in the cases of the Korean peninsula, Afghanistan, Iran, the Indian Sub-continent, the Gulf and the Middle East.

The meeting expressed deep concern of geometrical increase in religious fundamentalism, extremism and all kinds of terrorism is taking place in this region. Though the economic developments are taking place in significant level there exist also immense poverty, illiteracy, deceases, malnutrition and underdevelopment resulting in sharpening of social and economic contradictions in this most populated area of the world.

The meeting emphasized that these developments make it incumbent on WPC member’s organisations to realize the multi dimensional and comprehensive and interconnected nature of these challenges which threatens not only world peace but the very survival of the planet. The peace movements in our region cannot proceed in any meaningful way without assimilating the seriousness of these challenges and without evolving appropriate responses to them. After detail discussions the meeting identified areas where Peace movements in this region have to strengthen their activities.

Major activities of WPC member organizations should highlight the question of Peace and Stability. The important component of our activities should cover the issues of total nuclear disarmament, demanding closing of all US bases, stopping all foreign military exercises, supporting just peace proposals of different countries of this region, and mobilizing the people of this region in favor of such activities.

Particular emphasize should be given to the people of Korea for their resolve to denuclearization of Korean Peninsula and their efforts for the peaceful reunification of Korea. In this light the WPC regional meeting welcomed the Inter-Korean talks and the efforts to end the threats and sanctions against the DPR of Korea.

The threats of terrorism and religious extremism are one of the growing phenomena in this region. The fate of Rohingya people in Myanmar is one of the manifestations of such developments. This dangerous development is influenced by sectarian and fundamentalist ideologies which weakening and undermining the unity of the people thereby derailing the resolve and the united struggles of the people against imperialism.

The WPC member’s organizations have to organize suitable activities so that the people of this region can effectively fight back these forces.

The questions of Solidarity with the people of all continents are the central activities of WPC member’s organizations. The Asia-Pacific region was always in the forefront of Solidarity activities. The WPC member’s organizations from this region have to redouble their solidarity with the people of Palestine, Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam and other countries of the world.

Future activities for the year 2018

The Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting of the WPC members and friendly organizations decided to organize following activities;
1. To observe 6th and 9th August as Hiroshima and Nagasaki day and to popularize the demands for total nuclear disarmament and Asia free of all foreign military bases
2. To observe international day of solidarity with the people of Palestine on 29th November in appropriate manner.
3. To participate the forthcoming executive meeting of WPC in Syria in month of October 2018,followed by the International Solidarity Mission to Syria .
4. To participate also in the International Conference against US/NATO foreign military to be held Dublin from 16-18 November.
5. The meeting also decided that all member organizations of WPC has to clear their due membership fees as soon as possible.
6. To organise a tri-lateral meeting among the Peace movements from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in Dhaka.
7. The next regional meeting hopefully will be held in Vientiane, capital of Laos in 2019

The meeting extended sincere thanks to the people of Nepal, the Nepal Peace and Solidarity Council and its members for hosting the meeting and providing a warm hospitality.
We hope all our member organizations will take appropriate steps to realize the above activities adopted at the regional consultative meeting.

Resolution on Rohingya People in Myanmar

The Asia-Pacific regional meeting of the World Peace Council condemns the ongoing atrocities with the Rohingya people of Myanmar, who are facing huge humanitarian crisis and who are being chased and running away for their lives with serious complaints for policies of ethnic cleansing. As a result of such killing and atrocities, thousands and thousands of Rohingya people has taken shelter in Bangladesh thus created huge economic burden on Bangladesh government as well as created social tension inside the country. The meeting demands that Myanmar government should create appropriate social and economic conditions so that Rohingya people who were forced to leave Rakhin province can go back there with full citizenship rights.