Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Emergency resolution on Honduras, forwarded by Alan Benjamin
PLEASE EXCUSE DUPLICATE POSTINGS
[Note: The draft resolution below will be presented to the upcoming delegates' meeting of the San Francisco Labor Council. Given the emergency situation in Honduras today, we are sending it out to unionists and labor activists across the country as a model resolution for possible submission to your unions and labor councils. It can also be adapted for endorsement by community organizations. Please send us copies of any resolution you may adopt so that we can forward it to the National Resistance Front in Honduras. Thanks, in advance for your support. In solidarity -- Alan Benjamin and Dave Welsh, Delegates to San Francisco Labor Council]
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Draft Emergency Resolution on the Current Crisis in Honduras
Whereas, following the June 28, 2009 military coup in Honduras, the AFL-CIO National Convention passed a resolution in September demanding immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, restoration of all labor and democratic rights, and an immediate halt to all U.S. aid to the coup government; and
Whereas, since that time President Zelaya is still taking refuge in the Brazilian Embassy; the Honduran people led by the National Resistance Front Against the Coup continue to mount massive daily demonstrations against the coup regime; and the coup government continues to deploy the U.S.-trained army and police in an attempt to suppress the popular will and prevent the exercise of democratic rights; and
Whereas, a U.S.-brokered deal [the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords] to reinstate President Zelaya by November 5th -- in preparation for the Nov. 29th elections -- has unraveled. Nov. 5th came and went and the coup regime refused to restore Zelaya to the Presidency. As a result President Zelaya, denouncing the "bad faith" of the U.S. government, said the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords were "a dead letter." The National Resistance Front confirmed it could not participate in nor recognize the legitimacy of the Nov. 29th elections under these conditions; and
Whereas, mass tear-gassing and beating of protesters has continued. There is a total lack of political space for opposition candidates to campaign and for the expression of any dissident political opinion. Under the current coup regime, conditions for free, fair and open elections are non-existent; and
Whereas, the National Resistance Front has denounced the Nov. 29th elections as a scheme by "the de facto regime that is repressing the people and violating the civil and human rights of its citizens, with the goal of validating the dictatorship of the oligarchy." It said that participating in such an electoral exercise "would give legitimacy to the coup regime or its successor." The Front also stressed that "our stance in opposition to the electoral farce will remain firm even if President Zelaya is reinstated between now and Nov. 29th, since 20 days or less is too short a time to dismantle an electoral fraud many months in the making," and since there is no time for opposition candidates to mount a campaign.
Therefore be it resolved, that the ___________ [name of your union, council or organization] stand in solidarity with the heroic people of Honduras as they resist the savage repression of a military dictatorship, and fight to win real democracy and sovereignty for their country; and
Be it further resolved, that the ____________ send official letters to Congressional representatives and President Obama demanding that the U.S. government take strong measures against the repressive coup government in Honduras -- and whatever government may succeed it as a result of the "electoral farce" scheduled for Nov. 29th. These measures should include: 1) Immediately break off all political and economic ties with the coup government and its successor; 2) Recall the U.S. ambassador; 3) Establish an economic embargo on all trade and aid to Honduras; 4) Freeze the U.S. bank accounts of the coup plotters and deny them visas for U.S. travel; 5) Shut down U.S. military bases in Honduras; and
Be it further resolved, that the __________ demand that the U.S. government denounce and refuse to recognize the results of Nov. 29th elections or any electoral process organized under the repressive coup regime; and
Finally be it resolved, that the __________ make common cause with other labor and community organizations, to develop a reliable support network for the National Resistance Front against the Coup, and for the labor unions that are at the center of the Resistance movement in Honduras.
[Note: The draft resolution below will be presented to the upcoming delegates' meeting of the San Francisco Labor Council. Given the emergency situation in Honduras today, we are sending it out to unionists and labor activists across the country as a model resolution for possible submission to your unions and labor councils. It can also be adapted for endorsement by community organizations. Please send us copies of any resolution you may adopt so that we can forward it to the National Resistance Front in Honduras. Thanks, in advance for your support. In solidarity -- Alan Benjamin and Dave Welsh, Delegates to San Francisco Labor Council]
************
Draft Emergency Resolution on the Current Crisis in Honduras
Whereas, following the June 28, 2009 military coup in Honduras, the AFL-CIO National Convention passed a resolution in September demanding immediate reinstatement of President Manuel Zelaya, restoration of all labor and democratic rights, and an immediate halt to all U.S. aid to the coup government; and
Whereas, since that time President Zelaya is still taking refuge in the Brazilian Embassy; the Honduran people led by the National Resistance Front Against the Coup continue to mount massive daily demonstrations against the coup regime; and the coup government continues to deploy the U.S.-trained army and police in an attempt to suppress the popular will and prevent the exercise of democratic rights; and
Whereas, a U.S.-brokered deal [the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords] to reinstate President Zelaya by November 5th -- in preparation for the Nov. 29th elections -- has unraveled. Nov. 5th came and went and the coup regime refused to restore Zelaya to the Presidency. As a result President Zelaya, denouncing the "bad faith" of the U.S. government, said the Tegucigalpa/San Jose Accords were "a dead letter." The National Resistance Front confirmed it could not participate in nor recognize the legitimacy of the Nov. 29th elections under these conditions; and
Whereas, mass tear-gassing and beating of protesters has continued. There is a total lack of political space for opposition candidates to campaign and for the expression of any dissident political opinion. Under the current coup regime, conditions for free, fair and open elections are non-existent; and
Whereas, the National Resistance Front has denounced the Nov. 29th elections as a scheme by "the de facto regime that is repressing the people and violating the civil and human rights of its citizens, with the goal of validating the dictatorship of the oligarchy." It said that participating in such an electoral exercise "would give legitimacy to the coup regime or its successor." The Front also stressed that "our stance in opposition to the electoral farce will remain firm even if President Zelaya is reinstated between now and Nov. 29th, since 20 days or less is too short a time to dismantle an electoral fraud many months in the making," and since there is no time for opposition candidates to mount a campaign.
Therefore be it resolved, that the ___________ [name of your union, council or organization] stand in solidarity with the heroic people of Honduras as they resist the savage repression of a military dictatorship, and fight to win real democracy and sovereignty for their country; and
Be it further resolved, that the ____________ send official letters to Congressional representatives and President Obama demanding that the U.S. government take strong measures against the repressive coup government in Honduras -- and whatever government may succeed it as a result of the "electoral farce" scheduled for Nov. 29th. These measures should include: 1) Immediately break off all political and economic ties with the coup government and its successor; 2) Recall the U.S. ambassador; 3) Establish an economic embargo on all trade and aid to Honduras; 4) Freeze the U.S. bank accounts of the coup plotters and deny them visas for U.S. travel; 5) Shut down U.S. military bases in Honduras; and
Be it further resolved, that the __________ demand that the U.S. government denounce and refuse to recognize the results of Nov. 29th elections or any electoral process organized under the repressive coup regime; and
Finally be it resolved, that the __________ make common cause with other labor and community organizations, to develop a reliable support network for the National Resistance Front against the Coup, and for the labor unions that are at the center of the Resistance movement in Honduras.
# posted by redlion @ 7:22 pm 
