> --- Robert Rabin - Nilda Medina <bieke at coqui.net>
> wrote:
> > Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
> >
> > Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
> >
> > Telefax (787) 741-0716 cel 375-0525
> >
> > Vieques Update
> >
> > 19 June, 2000
> >
> >
> > Incursions into the military zone and arrests of our
> > people, screaming a military vehicles and personnel
> > in the streets of our community, parades,
> > internation tribunals are part of the activities
> > organized by the Committee for the Rescue and
> > Development of Vieques together with compañer at s from
> > Vieques and the main island over the past two weeks.
> > From 6 to 9 June, Dr. Doug Rokke, ex Director of the
> > DOD´s Uranium 238 ("depleted uranium") was in
> > Vieques and in Puerto Rico as part of the
> > international campaign to outlaw these radioactive
> > weapons. Rokke participated on Channell 28 (Vieques
> > TV) about the horrible health effects of uranium 238
> > (DU), for civilians and for soldiers in the area
> > where it is used.
> >
> >
> > At the Museum Fort Count Mirasol in Vieques, the
> > scientist from the US gave a detailed account about
> > DU weapons and the long history of Defense
> > Department irresponsability with their own personnel
> > and civilians in terms of health effects of DU.
> > Rokke emphasized that the dangers of contamination
> > and the serious health crisis of the Viequenses are
> > not related only to uranium, but to the multiplicity
> > of dangerous chemical componentes from over half a
> > century of bombing with conventional and non
> > conventional weapons on the Eastern end of Vieques.
> > Rokke showed visuals of the air transportation of
> > uranium oxide, clearly demonstrating how the
> > contaminants in the impact zone easily reach the
> > civilian sector riding on the constant breezes that
> > move precisely from East to West.
> >
> > On the main island, the Caribbean Project for Peace
> > and Justice organized several meetings with Rokke
> > and the scientific and medical community of Puerto
> > Rico and a Press Conference at the PR Bar
> > Association. After several days in Puerto Rico,
> > Rokke travelled to New York to continue the
> > information campaign against uranium 238 weapons
> > used on Vieques and to participatein the Puerto
> > Rican Day Parade, dedicated to the Peace on Vieques.
> >
> > Aproximately 150 people from Vieques travelled to NY
> > for the Parade on 11 June. The largest contingent
> > was the 40 or so members of the Committee for the
> > Rescue and Development of Vieques and the Peace and
> > Justice Camp. Nilda Medina, Norma Morales and María
> > Elena Navarro, members of the CRDV, worked for
> > several months to coordinate the participation of
> > the group to assure a strong representation of
> > Viequenses in struggle during the NY parade.
> >
> > Ismael Guadalupe, representing the CRDV, was the key
> > speaker at a special dinner by the War Resisters
> > League, US pacifist organization that recognized the
> > work of the CRDV awarding the Vieques group its
> > annual peace prize. Ismael also formed part of the
> > jury in the International Peoples Tribunal held on
> > June 10th that considered war crimes committed in
> > the war against Yugoslavia. During the proceedings,
> > Ismael brought up the issue of Vieques and received
> > a standing ovation from the 500 participants
> > representing 11 countries.
> >
> >
> > The following week was equally productive. We
> > received a great number of solidarity messages from
> > different parts of the world - the Phillipines,
> > Okinawa, US, Panamá, Hawaii - and commitments of
> > support and participation in civil disobedience
> > actions from a large number of Puerto Ricans.
> >
> >
> > On Tuesday, those arrested on 1 June met here with
> > lawyers Linda Backiel and Rosa Meneses Albizu
> > Campos. Lolita Lebron, one of the arrested, also
> > participated in the meeting to discuss future legal
> > strategy.
> >
> > On Thursday, 15 June, the technical-legal team of
> > Robert Kennedy, Jr., arrived on Vieques. Kennedy
> > directs a team of envronmental and legal
> > organizations - the Natural Resources Defense
> > Council, the Puerto Rico Legal Defense Fund and the
> > Environmental Litigation Clinic of Pace University -
> > that prepares a case to end Navy bombing and force
> > the Navy to decontaminate Vieques. Kennedy arrived
> > Saturday to meet with community organizations
> > related to the legal case.
> >
> >
> > Friday night, 37 Puerto Rican professionals,
> > including university professors, publiscists, sports
> > writers and union leaders, entered into the Navy´s
> > restricted area to denounce the Navy´s presence and
> > intention to continue bombing. The group
> > participated earlier in a special vigil at Peace and
> > Justice Camp, before entering into military zone and
> > were arrested around 3:00 in the morning. After
> > being transferred to Roosevelt Roads, the group was
> > released later in the afternoon.
> >
> >
> > Saturday evening, Kennedy and his team participated
> > in the vigil at Peace and Justice Camp, in front of
> > the Navy´s installation here - Camp García. More
> > than 400 Viequenses assisted the vigil that included
> > the music of Vieques Libre, a new Vieques band that
> > plays PLENA. Kennedy and his team left on Sunday
> > after meetings with the plaintiffs in the case being
> > developed.
> >
> >
> > Robert L. Rabin Siegal
> >
> > US NAVY, OUT OF VIEQUES!
> >
> > ¡FUERA LA MARINA DE VIEQUES!