Palestinian Min. of Education on Israeli Atrocities Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Palestinian Ministry of Education on Israeli Attacks on Schools source - Bill Koehnlein The Ministry of Education Urges the International Community to Intervene and End the Israeli Atrocities on the Palestinian People Ramallah, April 4, 2002: The Israeli army has positioned tanks and troops throughout all Palestinian population areas and systematically destroyed Palestinian infrastructure. The headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Education (MOE)in Ramallah was not spared from this destruction. Yesterday (April 3, 2002) more than 30 Israeli tanks made a forceful entry to the Ministry of Education (MOE) building by demolishing the main gate and the main doors. Although there were MOE employees who shown willingness to use keys and open all inside doors, Israeli invaders refused and badly treat these employees, actually they also use them as human armors. When all padlocks where exploded and open all MOE employees where captured outside and forced to sit under heavy rain and cold for six hours. When soldiers left at 9 in the evening the employees came back and witness the big damages and losses, they have seen: The MOE computers net servers where taken with a lot of floppy disks, CDs, files, dossiers, documents from all offices. In the financial offices, the main coffer lock was exploded which damaged all related papers including vouchers, promissory notes, cash, check box. In the general examination central office, all the main doors are bombed and destroyed, all iron cupboards where exploded, those contains highly important documents. The invaders took or destroyed all records and references that are very important for official transcripts. The records where built over years, loosing them means being incapable to issue or certify students' documents and transcripts. The main MOE storage rooms were also invaded, and computers were taken as well as OHP, TV, video sets, and many other valuable learning equipment. These equipment are worth millions of dollars which was provided by generous donor countries and organizations. All other offices where left in a mess files are torn or taken, and what is left has been piled on the floor in a terrifying scene. At this stage we can't define the real size of damages and loses, we will make a comprehensive assessment to this damage whenever we can reach the building. We like to highlight that when the Israeli broke into, there was no firing of any form in the area or around it. The MOE building is located in an area which far from the city center and surrounded by a wall. Such destruction express attitude that goes beyond military purposes; it reflects a deep resentment to whatever bears a whole mark of any Palestinian civil institutions. We like to reconfirm, also, that the MOE is serving 1 million Palestinian children, i.e. one third of the Palestinian population in West Bank and Gaza. The invasion on the MOE building is actually an aggression on all children of Palestine. Such aggression is another dreadful event added to the fact that for more than 160 students get killed over the last 18 months and the fact that over a week, almost 1 million Palestinian children are being denied from accessing their school, which is a basic right for any child. The attack to the Ministry of Education is against all international treaties and conventions. The Ministry of Education has repeatedly warned the international community of the disastrous effects of Israel's non-compliance with its obligations under international law, in particular, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The State of Israel willingly signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Moreover, the State of Israel has not only failed to comply with the provisions of the Convention, it has consistently and systematically engaged in gross violations of Palestinian children's rights. The Palestinian Ministry of Education urges and call upon you to stop this destruction of schools, buildings and offices, and to return all documents, and equipment to MOE. The Palestinian Ministry of Education urges and calls upon the international community to intervene and demand an IMMEDIATE halt to Israel's siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and an end to Israeli occupation as outlined in UN resolution 242 and 338. Acting Minister of Education Dr. Naim Abu Hommos, Fax + 970 298 3222 e mail: moepalestine@hotmail.com ********************************************************************* "The first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated." --José Martí ********************************************************************* The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory http://www.toplab.org ********************************************************************* ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytmid-04.09.02-11:12:14-18004