Hon. Paul Kavanagh
Irish Ambassador to Japan
Embassy of Ireland
Ireland House, 5F
2-10-7 Kojimachi
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-0083
Dear Ambassador Kavanagh,
Veterans For Peace – Ryukyus/Okinawa Chapter International (VFP-ROCK), together with the undersigned organizations and individuals, protest the arrest and imprisonment of VFP members Tarak Kauff and Kenneth Mayers, and further protest the refusal to grant them bail. Rather than arresting these two peace activists, the Government of Ireland should thank them for reminding it of the obligations a country undertakes when it declares itself a neutral power. The Hague Convention V Respecting the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers states:
A neutral Power which receives on its territory troops belonging to the belligerent armies shall intern them, as far as possible, at a distance from the theater of war. (Art. 11)
By ignoring this duty and instead allowing US troops and weapons to pass through Shannon Airport on their way to and from America’s illegal, unwinnable and never-ending wars in the Middle East, does not the Irish Government violate its principles of neutrality and render itself complicit in America’s breaches of international law?
Tarak Kauff’s and Kenneth Mayers’ protest against this was an act of conscience, and deserves gratitude, not punishment. We urge you, as Ambassador, to advise your Government to drop all charges against them and to release them immediately. And we remain optimistic that your Government will recognize that the surest way to prevent similar things from happening again will be to revive Ireland’s proud legacy of neutrality.
Respectfully Yours,
- Douglas Lummis
Coordinator, VFP-ROCK