Urgent statement by the leadership of the (TAJ-South Yemen) to the International

Urgent statement by the leadership of the Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ-South Yemen) to the International Community.

The Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ) is peacefully striving to end the North Yemeni military occupation of South Yemen that has been occupied since July 7th 1994. TAJ is seizing the opportunity of our people's 38th year's celebration of independence from the British colony in November 30th 1967 to participate in the national celebration in South Yemen, remembrance of courageous martyrs who fought for independence and urges Southerners to continue their struggle for independence, freedom, and true democracy

On this occasion TAJ emphasises that the Yemeni Unification which was a dream and main aim of Southerners is no longer valid. It is well documented that Southerners had struggled hard, where many people were martyred for the cause of unification. Unfortunately, after the Northern backward military regime imposed unification by military force in July 1994 southerners gave up this hope and wish to go back to self-rule with full autonomy.

The International Community ought to understand that the people in South Yemen have been suffering a great deal of repression by the northern tribal-military forces. This brutal regime has been systematically killing, torturing, depriving Southerners from their basic human rights as well as working towards obliterating Southerners' identity, history and culture. This is an attempt by the Northern regime to replace ways of life with Northern ones without any regard to the human rights laws.

Therefore TAJ is calling for rapid intervention of the international community through its main institutions in order to pressurise the regime of North Yemen to:

- comply with the Security Council's resolutions 924 and 931 issued at the time of the war in 1994.
- Withdraw the tribal-military forces from cities and villages of South Yemen without any condition.
- Return all of the South's national and private wealth plundered during the past 11 years.
- Stop sending Northern civilians and soldiers to the capital city of the South (Aden) as a tactic to show that people of the South support the Northern president and the presence of their regime in the South.
- Acknowledge the right to Self-determination for the South of Yemen.

TAJ declares its condemnation of these brutal and inhumane practices of the Northern regime and the silence of the International Community about these breaches of human rights laws. Furthermore, we urge the UN and the Secretary General Kofi Annan to pay attention to the concerns of South Yemeni people with regard to their rights enshrined in the international human rights charter, before the situation escalates and transforms into another Somalia.

Issued by: Southern Democratic Assembly (TAJ)
Date: 30th November 2005
London; UK