I måndags, 6e december, delades Right Livelihood Award, även känt som det alternativa Nobelpriset, ut. Priset har delats ut sedan 1980 och ett 30-tal av pristagarna har undertecknat ett upprop mot Sveriges samarbete med NATO och tagit ställning för att dra tillbaka de svenska trupperna från Afghanistan.
De senaste veckornas Wikileaks-avslöjanden har visat det mycket nära samarbetet Sverige har med NATO. I dokumenten som läckt ut framgår att USA bekräftar svensk NATO-koppling och att amerikanska ambassaden inte anser att Sverige är alliansfritt såsom de svenska politikerna kan ge sken av. Sverige har just nu trupper i Afghanistan som arbetar under NATO-befäl och inte under FN-befäl som så länge påståtts. Right Livelihood Award-pristagarna kräver att de svenska trupperna upphör med NATO-samarbete och dras tillbaka från Afghanistan.
Förutom att Sverige är aktiva i NATO med soldater i Afghanistan och ambassad på NATOs högkvarter i Bryssel, så välkomnar de svenska regeringen mer än gärna NATO att genomföra militärövningar i Sverige. Den största övningen hittills skedde sommaren 2009 när NATOs insatsstyrka Nato Response Force med 1000 soldater och 60 stridsflygplan övade bombfällning i norra Sverige. De flesta av dessa övningar utförs på North European Aerospace Testrange (NEAT), som är det största övningsområdet i detta slag i Europa. Idag publicerar Ofog namnen på de Right Livelihood-pristagare som kräver att NATO slutar att genomföra militärövningar i Sverige.
Namnen kan även läsas på www.warstartshere.com där det även finns information om det internationella aktionsläger som Ofog arrangerar mot NEAT i sommar.
Angie Zelter, RLA 2001.
Matthias Reichl.
Zafrullah Chowdhury, RLA 1991.
Mohammad Azmi Abdul Hamid, RLA 1988.
Pat Mooney, RLA 1985.
Dieter Mennekes.
Chico Whitaker Ferreira, RLA 2006.
Anwar Fazal, RLA 1982.
Neshan Gunasekera.
Juan Garces, RLA 1999.
Birsel Lemke, RLA 2000.
Stephen Corry, RLA 1989.
Maude Barlow, RLA 2005.
Niclas Hallstrom.
Christina Hagner, RLA 2002.
Ole von Uexkull. Executive Director of RLA Foundation.
Marcos Arana, RLA 1998.
Tony Clarke, RLA 2005.
Swami Agnivesh, RLA 2004.
Martin Almada, RLA 2002.
Suciwati Munir, RLA 2000.
Jacon von Uexkull. Founder and Chairperson of RLA Foundation.
Rosalie Bertell, RLA 1986.
Samuel Epstein, RLA 1998.
Alyn Ware, RLA 2009.
John Turner, RLA 1986.
Sulak Sivarak.
Frances Moore Lappe, RLA 1987.
Vijara Chauhan, RLA 1991.
Martin Pacheco, RLA 1994.
Patrick van Rensburg, RLA 1981.
Judit Vasarhelyi, RLA 1985.
Tapio Mattlar, RLA 1992.
Paul Ekins.
Maria Selete Campigotto, RLA 1991.
Ponna Wignaraja, RLA 1982
Presskontakt: Ofog 0733815361 eller info@ofog.org
Nedan följer deklarationen som Right Livelihood-pristagarna har undertecknat
NATO = WAR
NATO is the world's largest war making alliance and nuclear weapons club. It wages war to maintain an unjust world order in which Western countries seek to maintain their global domination and profit at the expense of the rest of the world. NATO helps maintain and support businesses, corporations and factories connected with the military, which has devastating consequences for major parts of the world's population.
NATO engages in military intervention globally, like today's war in Afghanistan. It also engages in military operations in the Mediterranean, among other things for the purposes of hunting for undocumented migrants. NATO is in standing violation of the internationally agreed Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since members of NATO “allowed” to possess nuclear weapon are currently updating their stock of weapons rather than disarming as they have agreed to under the NPT.
NATO has and is waging war in Afghanistan, with thousands of people being killed as a result. Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, drop bombs from the air which usually result in ninety percent civilian casualties. Part of the war also involves the torture prison at Bagram Airport and the extra-judicial executions and renditions carried out by NATO and its allies.
NATO represents institutionalised violence as well in the form of the costs for the arming of all NATO member countries that together represents more than 70% of the world's military spending. This is money that could be used to build and strengthen civil society instead of tearing it apart.
Sweden in NATO
Despite Sweden's supposed and well-known neutrality, Sweden has actually been working closely with NATO and its armies for many years. While the Swedish government avoids public debate on the issue, Swedish soldiers both train and wage war together with NATO. The government does not want to discuss NATO membership, but at the same time the Swedish Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors has said that "NATO membership is a natural step to take for Sweden”. As a result the Swedish Defence Forces are being adapted more and more to fit in with NATO. Military equipment is made according to NATO standards and the common command language for aviation is now English. As part of the NATO Partnership for Peace programme, Sweden ”helps” Eastern European member countries to get well integrated into NATO.
Swedish soldiers participate in NATO exercises both inside Swedish borders and elsewhere in the world. The Swedish Air Force has practised in Nevada in 2004 together with the US Air Force and in 2006 did so again off the Chinese and North Korean coast using seven of their Gripen fighter aircraft. In Afghanistan, Swedish soldiers are under NATO command and thus are fighting on the same side as the occupying power.
Thus in all but name Sweden is a part of NATO and only lacks formal membership.
NATO in Sweden
In addition to participation in military exercises and war together with NATO, Sweden gladly welcomes the war alliance to do military exercises in the country. These exercises have taken place both on land, in the water, as well as in the air. The largest exercise to date was in 2009 when the NATO Response Force came with 1000 soldiers and 60 fighter aircraft to practice bombing in northern Sweden. Most of these exercises are performed at the North European Aerospace Test Range (NEAT), which is the largest overland test area in Europe. These test ranges are located in a part of Sweden that already has been overused heavily, for theft of natural resources and exploitation of the local population. This applies especially to Sweden's indigenous Sami people who now have their land used and destroyed by military exercises.
We, the undersigned urge the Swedish Government to immediately withdraw all Swedish personnel from their participation in NATO, to withdraw all Swedish soldiers from NATO's war in Afghanistan and stop NATO using Sweden for its war exercises!