Jenny Tonge speaks to Kashmiris in Birmingham

10.37.12pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 29th Apr 2003

Jenny Tonge MP, Lib Dem International Development Spokesperson, went to Birmingham on Sunday to speak to a predominantly Kashmiri audience as part of the local election campaign in that city.

During her talk she voiced concern at the way in which the Iraq crisis has been handled, as well calling for peace in Kashmir.

Voicing her concerns about current UK foreign policy Jenny Tonge MP said: "The UK is content to agree to international law and multilateral agreements such as those at Kyoto on the environment, treaties on landmines and anti ballistic missiles and the International Criminal Court, so long as the USA doesn't have to obey them. Blair condones this and it makes me ashamed."

"Above all he supported George Bush in attacking Iraq without a new UN resolution which had been promised. Not only could it be illegal in international law to have done this but he fell back on the old ploy of blaming the French. In doing this Tony Blair has put the future of the UN at risk.

"Although Lib Dems have called for reform of the UN for some time, the Security Council is basically a fine institution and it is seriously under threat following the actions of Britain and America."

The MP then spoke about what now needs to be done:

"We must get the UN weapons inspectors back into Iraq to provide independent surveillance and prevent accusations against the USA and the UK. The dossiers produced as evidence in the run up to the war were mostly discredited. "

"The 'contract' between Nigeria and Iraq to supply uranium was found to be a forgery, so the UN must be allowed to supervise this search for weapons of mass destruction to ensure fair play."

"Iraq must be run by Iraqis as soon as possible and contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq must be fairly distributed. The perception amongst many is that the USA wants Iraqi oil and will use the revenues to reward US companies. They must surely realise that it is in everyone's interest, especially the USA that this is not allowed to happen."

"Kashmir: "

"Speaking about the situation in Kashmir, Jenny Tonge MP argued that what is needed is an independent mediator like we had in Northern Ireland."

"Jenny Tonge MP: "

"Fighting has continued on and off since partition in 1948. Where two nuclear powers face each other across sandbags, and First World War trenches. I know, I have been there.

"Atrocities are committed against the civilian population by insurgents from the Pakistan side who are referred to as 'terrorists' or 'freedom fighters' depending on your point of view, and by Indian troops, 800,000 of them who I suspect are not always under the control of their officers, which was conceded by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan when I was there. "

"He wants talks to be restored. So do the Liberal Democrats. The USA and UK, but especially the UN have very few observers there to monitor the line of control.

"We desperately need an independent mediator like we had in Northern Ireland and who is still operating in the Sudan Peace process."

END

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