Campaign against Armed Forces Bill

[scar]

Possible life sentence for soldiers who refuse to be occupiers

The Armed Forces Bill now going through the UK Parliament would impose
harsh penalties on soldiers who refuse to take part in military
occupations.

Section 8 which has hardly been mentioned in the media -- introduces a
new tougher definition of desertion: soldiers who intend to avoid
serving in a military occupation of a foreign country or territory can
be imprisoned for life.

This major redrafting of military law has been introduced at a time when
the number of soldiers absconding from the British Army has trebled
since the invasion of Iraq a clear attack on the growing movement of
men and women in the military who refuse to be part of wars, in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Iran. . . . It contravenes the Nuremberg Charter which
enshrined in international law the responsibility that each of us has to
refuse to obey illegal and immoral orders from any government. At the
same time the UK Defence Secretary is urging that the Geneva Convention
be rewritten to legalise pre-emptive military action.

For more information see Independent on Sunday, of 19 March 2006
http://www.refusingtokill.net/UKGulfwar2/Soldiersgoingawolhavetrebled. htm

TAKE ACTION!
i) Sign the international petition at Petition on Line
http://www.petitiononline.com/UKArmedF/petition.html

ii) See www.refusingtokill.net for more information on what you can do.