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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
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Ref: 47/2005
Date: 06 April 2005
PCHR Urges Limerick City Council to take Action to Ban all CAT Products.
PCHR supports the motion in front of Limerick City Council, Ireland, put forward by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and supported by the family of American human rights defender Rachel Corrie, to declare Limerick City the worlds first Caterpillar Free Zone.
The motion calls on the City Council to ban the use of all Caterpillar plant and machinery on Council worksites from January 1st 2006, and calls on all traders in Limerick City to implement a voluntary ban on the sale of Caterpillar merchandise.
The detrimental effects of CAT’s products has been well documented by PCHR and other international human rights organisations. CAT’s bulldozers have been an integral part of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) campaign of house demolitions and land razing across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). CAT Bulldozers have also been the direct cause of the deaths of six Palestinian civilians since the start of the Intifada, as well as Rachel Corrie.
In a recent report released by Human Rights Watch, entitled Razing Rafah, the organisation provided details of this machine:
“Nicknamed ‘Teddy Bear’, the Caterpillar D9 stands four meters tall and is more then 7.9 meters long, including ripper and front blade. With armoured plates it weighs roughly sixty-four tons.”
One driver of the bulldozer described to an Israeli Journalist his emotions while using the equipment:
For three days, I just destroyed and destroyed. The whole area…They[Palestinian civilians] were warned by loudspeaker to get out of the house…but I gave no one a chance. I didn’t wait…I would just ram the house with full power, to bring it down as fast as possible. I didn’t give a damn about the Palestinians, but I didn’t just ruin with no reason. It was all under orders…I am sure people died inside these houses…I found joy with every house that came down…If I am sorry for anything, it is for not tearing the whole camp down.”
(After the publication of this article in Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronoth, on the 31st of May 2002, the IOF gave this soldier a citation for outstanding service).
The international campaign against CAT has also continued in the USA. Recently, with the assistance from affidavits taken by PCHR lawyers, the Center For Constitutional Rights launched a legal case on behalf of the family of Rachel Corrie against CAT. The case details how CAT were fully aware of the manner in which their products were being used.
PCHR wishes to express that we are positively shocked by the possibility that Limerick City Council will take this action. PCHR believes that it is one of the strongest possible indications that the message about human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is being received globally. It gives us hope that the spirit of Rachel Corrie may have the possibility of receiving some justice.
PCHR strongly urges Limerick City Council to carefully consider the wide range of public material available on this matter and to urgently take a decision to immediately implement a ban on all CAT products on its construction sites.
On April 13th Caterpillar shareholders meet in Chicago to discuss a resolution on the sale of bulldozers to Israel. As long as it continues to profit from sales to Israel Caterpillar will continue to sell to Israel. If shareholders sense that the continuation of this trade damages the company’s image and sales internationally, the policy would have to be reconsidered.
Consequently PCHR calls on all municipality and local councils to immediately table similar motions to that of Limerick City Council and to support the campaign to have CAT end all sales to the Israeli military.
If you would like to contact Limerick City Council urging your support PCHR suggests that you contact the Mayor, Michael Hourigan, michael.hourigan@council.limerickcity.ie
“END”
Public Document
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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
