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Assyrian UN Delegation Calls for Autonomous Region for Iraq's Assyrians
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As part of its intensive campaign to promote the Assyrian cause on the international level, a delegation of the Assyrian Universal Alliance (AUA) attended the General Assembly of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in Taipei, Taiwan from 27 to 29 October 2006. Assyria's delegates were Mary Younan (Canada), Hermiz Shahen (Australia), and Youra Tarverdi (United States). During the 3-day meeting, the Assyrian Universal Alliance delegates presented the critical conditions of the Assyrian people in the Middle-East, with particular focus on Iraq.

The Assyrian Universal Alliance introduced a resolution (included below) that calls the UNPO General Assembly to support an autonomous status (self-administered region) for the Assyrians in Iraq. The resolution triggered a comprehensive debate on the issues it was presenting and was adopted unanimously by the UNPO General Assembly.

Also, the General Assembly received overwhelmingly the World Peace Network (WPN) project as introduced by the delegation. Established in 1997, the WPN is a communication system that would enable different ethnic and indigenous groups to share and preserve their culture and working as a social and economic platform to UNPO's 65 members.

The AUA would like to take this opportunity to thank the previous UNPO Steering Committee and wishes the newly elected Presidency all the success in its forthcoming mandate to foster the knowledge, cause and struggle of unrepresented and oppressed member nations. Lastly, the AUA wishes to thank the Government of Taiwan for the hospitality and in particular the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy for supporting and sponsoring this successful UNPO VIII General Assembly.

ASSYRIA - RESOLUTION

Whereas, in recognition of the needs of the Assyrian people in their historical homeland (Assyria), expresses its concern about the political, national and human rights situation of the Assyrian people,

Recalling the beheadings, kidnappings, assassinations, exodus, and internal displacement of the Assyrian people in Iraq,

RECALLING the bombings of Assyrian churches, kidnappings and killing of religious figures,

Recalling that Assyrian national rights are not constitutionally recognized in Iraq,

EXPRESSING concern of Iraq's new constitution because of the absence of secularism, rights and freedom of the Assyrian people as per international declarations and covenants,

RECALLING that Iraq's constitution fails to assign a quota of seats in the national assembly for the Assyrian people nor the right and guarantee of having self-chosen representation in the government,

RECALLING the prevention to vote in recent elections in certain Assyrian populated cities,

REAFFIRMING the Assyrian people are the indigenous people of Iraq,

REAFFIRMING the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Iraq,

EXPRESSING our strong condemnation of acts of terrorism,

We hereby resolve that international support should be granted for:

  1. An autonomous status (self-administrated region) to the Assyrians on the land of their ancestors "Assyria" in the north of Iraq (the territory located between the greater Zab and the Tigris River), under the jurisdiction of the central government of Iraq and the protection of the United Nations.
  2. Specific attention to Assyrian human rights abuses, specifically in Iraq and generally in the Middle East.
  3. Monitoring the upcoming census in Iraq by international and human rights organizations to safeguard the rights of the Assyrian people.
  4. Specific measures to ensure the restoration of Assyrians villages and churches.
  5. The Assyrian rights to return to their homes and villages in Iraq.
  6. The guarantee of the right of autonomy and self-determination for the Assyrian people as per international declarations and covenants.
  7. The establishment of a unified, democratic, secular, pluralistic and parliamentarian government in Iraq that will guarantee human rights and equality for all citizens, which is multi-ethnic and based on the rule of law and free from all militias.
  8. The allowance, practice and preservation of the Assyrian language, culture and customs, without any form of persecution.

Assyrian Universal Alliance



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