5 March 2009

HIS EXCELLENCY S. NGOMBANE
THE AMBASSADOR OF THE EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA
22nd Floor, Menara HLA
No. 3, Jalan Kia Peng
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Dear Sir,

APPEAL FOR CONCRETE AND SINCERE MEASURES LEADING TO THE SPEEDY CREATION OF A FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATE OF PALESTINE

On behalf of COMPLETE, we write in with a sense of anger, grief, desperation, helplessness and frustration by the recent events and current impasse in Gaza, but with the hope and determination that the world has finally awakened to the realization that a just and comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian tragedy is urgently required.

COMPLETE stands for COALITION OF MALAYSIAN NGOs AGAINST PERSECUTION OF PALESTINIANS, a coalition of more than 100 NGOs that cuts across racial, religious and political lines in Malaysia. We are not aligned with any Palestinian political faction, preferring to deal with the Palestinians as a united people. We intend to work closely with foreign NGOs with similar objectives, and together as a worldwide united front of NGOs, act as an effective pressure group to governments, pushing for a speedy creation of a free and independent state of Palestine.

The current Gaza crisis is the latest in the history of the Palestinian tragedy which started 60 years ago with the forced creation of the state of Israel. The Palestinians have since been displaced, made stateless, humiliated, dehumanized, terrorized and massacred. This gross injustice to the Palestinian people, the majority of whom are Muslims, is probably the single most important reason for the Middle East Crisis, and the rise of ‘Islamic’ terrorism around the world.

The Palestinian tragedy is a humanitarian tragedy of monstrous proportions in terms of the scale of human suffering and duration. The international community must make a highly concerted effort to ensure a just and comprehensive resolution in the near future or face even greater violence and instability in the Middle East in particular and the world in general.

Israel’s recent barbaric invasion of Gaza with the deaths of more than 1300 Palestinians, 40% of whom were innocent children and women, and the intentional destruction of the infrastructure including hospitals, schools, police stations, mosques and even UN centres, is unbelievable, unacceptable, immoral and without any sense of human decency. Its continued arrogance and intransigence in not abiding with numerous UN Security Council resolutions and in ignoring numerous UN General Assembly resolutions since 1948 is an affront to the international community.

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APPEAL FOR CONCRETE AND SINCERE MEASURES LEADING TO THE SPEEDY CREATION OF A FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATE OF PALESTINE

South Africa under the leadership of the ANC government that led it out of the darkness of apartheid, is today the most influential nation diplomatically and economically in the African continent. The steadfast struggle against the brutal apartheid system earned today’s South African leaders the respect and admiration of the whole world. Yet, half way across the world the Palestinians are still languishing under another apartheid that is just as, if not more brutal, inhumane and oppressive. The latest aggression on Gaza is testimony to this. Just as the world supported South Africans in their struggle, we place hopes in your esteemed government, to lead the international community in condemning Zionism which parallels the apartheid of former South Africa, and exert diplomatic pressure on Israel towards a just and comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue.

We urge the government of South Africa to :

1. consider breaking diplomatic, economic and cultural ties with Israel
2. request the UN Security Council to impose and immediate arms embargo and economic sanctions on Israel
3. request world leaders and eminent persons to seriously consider bringing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity to political and military leaders of Israel.

We believe the above measures will isolate and compel Israel to seriously negotiate to end the tragedy leading to the creation of a free and independent state of Palestine. We strongly urge your government to seriously and sincerely consider our proposals with an open and clear conscience and compassion for the sake of world humanity and peace.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

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ADNAN MOHD TAHIR, CHAIRMAN DR MAZENI ALWI, CHAIRMAN
On behalf of COMPLETE Government Relations Committee