Kurdish Hunger Strike Goes On

[kurds at gn.apc.org]

Kurdish Hunger Strike Committee
Grosvenor Square, London W1

                    ===PRESS RELEASE No. 2===

                                              8/4/91
                                              12 noon

The hunger strike began on Wednesday 3rd April 1991 at 2pm.

There were 40 people in the strike at that initial stage.  The strike
is now in its seventh day and there are 35 of us who are still carrying
on.

So far ten strikers have been taken to hospital and among those, five
have ended their strike under medical advice, while the other five
rejoined.  However, it should be noted that it is still our intention
to hold a hunger strike until our demands are met.

On the third day of the strike a letter was sent to President Bush
through the USA Embassy and a request was made for a meeting with the
Ambassador.  So far we have not had any response.

Today, the seventh day of the strike, another letter was sent to
President Bush through the USA Embassy and the previously made
request for a meeting with the Ambassador was reaffirmed.  Yet again
we haven't had any response.

The following demands were included in the letter:

1 - The establishment of the proposed UN controlled zone to give
    minimum protection to the Kurds in southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan
    against the Iraqi army.

2 - Prompt measures to be taken to assure effective delivery and
    distribution of aid.

3 - Action to prevent Saddam Hussein and his regime from using his
    weapons against the Kurds in Iraq, especially in view of Iraq's
    acceptance of UN resolution 688.

We have been greeted frequently by passers-by and the public.

In particular we have been visited by some personalities and
representatives of various organisations such as: Dale Campbell-Saver MP,
Ann Clwyd MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Kenneth Livingstone MP, Simon Hughes MP,
George Robertson MP, and Mr. John Swanwick, Vice-Chairman of National Young Conservatives.


We were also visited by a representative of CND.