Gaza-Bound Asian Aid Caravan Continues Ground Journey in Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Asian continent's first humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza arrived in Iran's Southeastern province of Kerman on Friday.

The Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine (APSP) convoy, which plans to travel through Iran to Turkey, arrived in provincial capital city of Kerman on Friday.

The convoy arrived in Iran on Wednesday after completing their ground journey in India.

A number of 55 activists accompany the Asian Gaza Solidarity Caravan, organized by the Asian People's Solidarity for Palestine, a coalition of social movements, trade unions and civil society institutions of the region.

The current members of the caravan are from India, Pakistan, Japan, Nepal, Malaysia and Singapore and it is expected that they will be accompanied by their counterparts from Iran, Bahrain, Turkey, Australia and Azerbaijan.

Thirty-two Indians and eight others from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Japan were not allowed by the Indian Border Security Force to cross over to Pakistan on foot for want of an NoC from New Delhi and they took a flight to Iran.

The convoy will carry medical aid and donate two ambulances to the authorities in Palestine.

The Asian peace activists hope that the move would provide a good opportunity for breaking the siege of Gaza.

The move came nearly seven months after Israeli forces raided the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31. Over 100 Israeli soldiers supported by military choppers boarded a Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara, leading the six-ship convoy in international waters.

The Israeli commandoes killed 20 international human rights activists and wounded 80 more. Nine of the victims were Turkish nationals. Some members of the European parliaments, former western diplomats, reporters and human rights activists were among the victims of Israel's brutal act.

The siege of Gaza started in June 2007 when Israel imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip. This was supported by the governments of Egypt and the US.

The blockade consists of a land blockade along Gaza's borders with Egypt and Israel and a sea blockade. It immediately followed the 2006-2007 economic sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority following the election of Hamas to the Palestinian government.

The blockade has attracted criticism from many Human Rights organizations. September 2009 UN fact-finding mission found that the blockade of Gaza "amounted to collective punishment", was likely a war crime and a crime against humanity and recommended that the matter be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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People in Zahedan welcoming Asian solidarity for Palestine caravan

Peace group to Gaza stopped at Wagah

Activists stage a dharna at the Wagah border point

Indian peace activists planning to take humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip sat in dharna briefly at the Wagah border point with Pakistan. They later returned to Delhi as the government denied them permission to cross over on foot.

“Permission was not denied. They had valid passports and visas and were free to use the established means of transport to cross over into Pakistan. Going on foot is not one of the established means such as bus, train or plane,” said informed sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here.

‘No response’

Members of the “India lifeline to Gaza” claimed that the Ministry did not respond to their plea for permission to cross over even though it was sought a month ago. “We thought the Indian government has a stated policy of support to the Palestinian people. But such unresponsiveness makes us have serious doubts,'' said Sunil Kumar who sat in dharna with the others at Wagah.

The mission, first such from the country, is part of the Asian Peoples Solidarity for Palestine.

“Crossing over by foot is not the normal practice. Foreigners, diplomats and sometimes journalists can cross over on foot. For jathas and other groups, the norm is to take the established means like bus, train or flights,'' said the sources.

This group planned to travel through six nations on its way to Gaza. The caravan was flagged off from Rajghat on December 2 by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh along with Mani Shanker Aiyer, MP, Planning Commission Member Syeda Hameed and National Advisory Council member Harsh Mander. The convoy was to travel through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, and to enter Gaza on December 27.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article931949.ece