July 2004

WAR RESISTERS SUPPORT CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

A GROWING NUMBER of Canadians are demanding that the federal government make provision for US war resisters to have sanctuary in this country. In the event that they are returned to the United States, US war objectors face incarceration and possibly even the death penalty.

"From the time of the United Empire Loyalists who fled to Canada in the eighteenth century, to the draft resisters of the Vietnam era who came here more than thirty years ago, Canada has been providing refuge for Americans," says author June Callwood. "We have a moral obligation to continue to do so."

At a May 27 news conference in Toronto, a War Resisters Support Campaign was launched. Speakers included actor Shirley Douglas; Wayne Samuelson, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour; musician Bill King and representatives of different faith communities.

To raise this issue in the federal election, the new campaign sent the following question to political parties:

"During the period of 1965 73, many draft age Americans came to Canada refusing to participate in the Vietnam war. The Government of Canada allowed U.S. war objectors to remain in Canada. Nuremberg Principle #4 states that persons are required to act according to the rules of international law even against the orders of their government or of a superior, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to them. Given that the war in Iraq was illegal under the Charter of the United Nations, is your party committed to a special amnesty in Canada for American war objectors?"

The Campaign also released the following declaration:

During the period of 1965 1973 more than 50,000 draft-age Americans made their way to Canada, refusing to participate in an immoral war. At the time, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said: "Those who make the conscientious judgment that they must not participate in this war... have my complete sympathy, and indeed our political approach has been to give them access to Canada. Canada should be a refuge from militarism."

Thirty years later, Canada is faced with the same moral choice - to give refuge to those who refuse to be accomplices in the US-led war on Iraq which many legal opinions have deemed illegal under international law.

There are currently at least two young people who have made their way to Canada in objection to the US government's war on Iraq. Jeremy Hinzman was a soldier in the 82nd Airborne Division. He and his family arrived in Toronto in January 2004 and are currently seeking refugee status. Brandon Hughey, a 19 year old American soldier, arrived in St. Catharines two months later and is also seeking refugee status.

Regardless of the technical decisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board, we believe Canada should not punish US war objectors for exercising their conscience and refusing to fight. If they are returned to the United States, they face incarceration and possibly even the death penalty.

Canada must not facilitate the persecution of American war objectors by returning them to the United States.
The majority of Canadians did not support this war. The Canadian government did not support this war. We call on the Canadian government to demonstrate its commitment to international law and the treaties to which it is a signatory, by making provision for US war objectors to have sanctuary in this country.

Signed by: June Callwood, Shirley Douglas, Maude Barlow, David Suzuki, Steven Bush, Anton Kuerti, Bill King, Heather Mallick, Naomi Klein, Jane Orion Smith, Margaret Clare Ford, John Hagan, Gale Zoe Garnett, Zafar Bangash, Wayne Samuelson, Canadian Labour Congress, Ron Hawkins, Buzz Hargrove, Paul Cliche, Amir Khadir.

To sign a petition on this issue, or for further information, see www.resisters.ca.

© 2004 Communist Party of Canada