Kalistani Major History

[Doc]

Kalistani Brethrenists issue Statement in Support of Luthori Protests
"Conscientious Objection is a fundamental human right" says Clerk
Kaliburg, Ananto
23 July, 5372


Plaque outside the Kalistani Yearly Meeting, who just passed a minute in support of Conscientious Objection in Luthori

As the Luthorian Government continues to inflame its population with ultra conservative laws, members and attenders of the Brethrenist Meetings in Kalistan have passed a minute during the Kalistani Yearly Meeting which weighs in on the conflict, on the side of protestors.

The Minute reads:

The Kalistani Yearly Meeting (KYM) stands in solidarity with those protesting mandatory military conscription, and calls for all people of conscience world wide to oppose mandatory military service. This is a violation not only of our obligation and civic responsibility to live in peace with one another, but it is also a violation of the rights of conscience of those who are subject to such a law. The Kalistani Yearly Meetings calls for all Monthly and Quarterly Meetings to do all that they can to support the protests in Luthori, both from Kalistan and abroad, until the Government of Luthori rescinds that onerous and violent law to allow for people to object to military service if their conscience dictates. Additionally KYM, as well as each Quarterly Meeting, hereby authorizes the spending of meeting funds to support Kalistanis who are led to support the protests more directly.

Clerk Heather Yimenez of the Kalistani Yearly Meeting, said that KYM doesn't usually intervene in political matters, especially the politics of a foreign nation. "But a law that forces people to join military service is simply repulsive to the conscience of a person who loves and supports peaceful solutions for international conflicts," said Clerk of the Meeting Yimenez. "We in the Kalistan Yearly Meeting have a number of Queries which illuminate that conscientious objection is a basic human right. It should be the right of each man and woman to decide for themselves whether they are morally square with war. This law (the Military Service Refusal Criminal Offence Act) does not permit that: It instead allows the police to arrest and incarcerate people who do not wish to serve in the Military. Furthermore, a slew of other laws empower the police state in Luthori in support of this act, including a law that,if passed will essentially allow the police state to arrest anyone protesting any act of the Government."

Yimenez went on to declare that Brethrenists in Kalistan were free to choose how to act on the Minute passed in the Yearly Meeting this week. "We are not saying that Brethrenists should go start trouble in Luthori," said the Clerk. "But it is not a unreasonable to expect that at least some Brethrenists will attempt to travel to Luthori to work with the Protestors, serve as medical aids or legal observers, and assist the Luthoris as they fight to resist the brutalization of their newly enthusiastically conservative Government. As Brethren, it is not likely that Kalistanis will participate in any sort of violence, but many in the meeting suggested that they would go and stry to stand between the people seeking to bring violence against the people protesting. If beating up a pacifist is what the Luthorian Government feels the need to do, then I know of a group of Kalistanis who would prefer to stand with the crowd and perhaps take a few of the blows so people fighting for the freedom of conscience do not have to take all of them themselves."

The Government of Kalistan has remained silent on the protests, but following the passage of the Minute from the KYM, consular services have been stepped up, both in Kalistan and in Luthori to try to ensure that any Kalistanis who are in country will have help getting to and from Luthori in the coming months.