Peace Network Says “RIMPAC” War Games Exploit Pacific Peoples
World BEYOND War
AUCKLAND, Aotearoa (June 19, 2020) — A new coalition of Pacific Peace groups says the “RIMPAC’ military exercises event exploits Pacific peoples and causes environmental damage and should be cancelled.
The ‘war games’, which will be attended by up to 26 countries in Hawaiian waters this August have already been scaled down from three months to two weeks’ duration because of COVID-19, but the Pacific Pacific Network (PPN) says it should be cancelled altogether.
Two countries, Israel and Chile have already pulled out, and several others, including Australia, are undecided. Currently New Zealand plans to send one ship, the HMS Manawanui with 66 military personnel.
“Indigenous people in Hawai’i are struggling for some degree of self-determination in the face of nuclearisation, militarisation and economic exploitation of the Pacific. We believe our military participation in Rimpac is an ugly expression of this multi-level colonisation — physical, cultural, spiritual, economic, nuclear, military — past and present”, says PPN convenor Liz Remmerswaal from World Beyond War Aotearoa New Zealand.
On Saturday, June 25, the Pacific Peace Network hosted a webinar featuring six representatives from Pacific and Asian countries speaking about their concerns, particularly in relation to the environment and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Speakers from across the Pacific include: Kawena Kapahua, Cancel Rimpac Coalition (Hawaii), Dr Margie Beavis, Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia), Maria Hernandez, Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian (Guam/Guahan), Virginia Lacsa Suarez, Co-Convenor of SCRAP VFA! — a broad campaign network of coalitions, organizations and individuals united in the pursuit of genuine sovereignty, (Philippines), and Valerie Morse, Peace Action Wellington (Aotearoa New Zealand).
The webinar was chaired by Liz Remmerswaal, a co-host from World Beyond War Aotearoa New Zealand. The event was produced in association with the Independent and Peaceful Australian Network.
There will be brief video footage of the war games and questions from participants after.
The event was recorded and is available to watch below:
There is also a petition (see below) and here: https://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/help-hawaii-stop-the-largest-naval-war-practice-in-the-world
For more information, please contact: Liz Remmerswaal, World Beyond War Aotearoa NZ/Pacific Peace Network
ACTION ALERT: CANCEL RIMPAC — With COVID-19, the World’s Largest Naval War Practice Endangers Hawaii and the World
To: US Congress and Pentagon:
CANCEL RIMPAC, the international Rim of the Pacific naval war practice in Hawaiian waters originally scheduled from June through August 2020 but due to citizen activism and COVID19 is now scaled back to the middle to the end of August. Even this shortened war practice is provocative on a regional level and with the COVID19 virus, military personnel arriving in Hawaii will endanger citizens of the isolated island state of Hawaii. RIMPAC MUST BE CANCELLED!
Why This Is Important
More than 25,000 military personnel from 20 countries will gather from June through August 2020 in Hawaii waters for the 27th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the world’s largest international maritime exercises, The international naval war practice in Hawaiian waters is provocative in regional affairs and with the COVID19 virus, military personnel from 20-plus countries arriving in Hawaii will endanger citizens of the isolated island state of Hawaii.
Since 1971, RIMPAC has been held in Hawaii where in 2018 military personnel from 24 other countries, including Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam came to Hawaii.
With COVID19 virus rampant around in all countries around the world, the isolated islands of Hawaii must be protected from military visitors.
This Petition Is Sponsored by Following Hawaii Organizations:
Hawai’i Peace and Justice; Veterans for Peace-Chapter 113-Hawai’i; Malu Aina Center for Nonviolence Education & Action-Big Island; Maui Peace Action; Kauai Alliance for Peace & Social Justice; Catholic Worker Honolulu; Campaign Nonviolence-Hawaii; Democratic Socialists of Honolulu; Young Progressive Demanding Action (Hawaiʻi); Hawaiian Unity and Liberation Institute; Malama Makua; US National Organizations: Peace Action; United for Peace & Justice; United National Anti-War Coalition; Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; CODEPINK, San Francisco Bay Area chapter; Veterans For Peace chapter 69-San Francisco; Donald and Sally-Alice Thompson Veterans For Peace Chapter #63-Albuquerque, New Mexico; Shut Down Creech campaign; International Organizations: Jeju Committee for the Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of Sea (South Korea); Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND-UK); Vrede vzw (Belgium); International Coalition for a Ban on (depleted) Uranium Weapons (Berlin Germany); Activists for Peace- Sweden; VD AMOK (Netherlands); Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILFP)-Italy; Peace & Neutrality Alliance in Ireland; CNGNN Italy; “No to war – no to NATO”; Center for Encounter and Active Non-Violence, Bad Ischl, Austria; Swedish Peace Council; Roma Social Forum; Teatroinnatura-Italy; Frente Antiimperialista Internacionalista (Spain); Dutch section of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF NL); WILPF Germany; Mouvement de la Paix (France); Gangjeong Peace Network; Inter-Island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea; Jeju Comittee People Making Jeju a Demilitarized Peace Island; Association of Gangjeong Villagers Against the Jeju Navy Base; Seongsan Committee against the Jeju 2nd Airport Project; Jeju People Living in the Main Land of Korea; TID TIL FRED – aktiv mod krig, Danmark (TIME FOR PEACE – Active Against War, Denmark);
How It Will Be Delivered
Following a press conference about the petition, delegates will personally deliver the petition to the members of the Hawaii Congressional delegation as they return to Hawaii and to their offices in Washington, DC.
