Members of the Quaker and Catholic communities shut down the entrances of a Pinkenba weapons factory this morning for over an hour.
“We have asked Nioa to rule out exporting munitions to Indonesia”, said Margaret Pestorius, speaking on behalf of the group of Christians.
Workers arriving at Nioa were prevented from entering as a sign of the group’s opposition to human rights abuse by police and army in West Papua, southern Philippines, and even possibly Myanmar.
“This weapons business is setting up to export munitions to countries that commit human rights abuses. We want to build peaceful communities while these corporations barrack for more violence”, said Christine Venner-Westaway from Quakers for Peace.
“Through their subsidiary Rheinmetall Nioa, we expect them to be placing undue pressure on the Australian government to gain export licences that allow the sale of munitions to Indonesia.” Ms Pestorius said. “Both Rheinmetall and Nioa are sponsors of the Land Forces exhibition in June at the Brisbane Convention Centre. This expo is about pushing more weapons into the Indo Pacific.”
Rheinmetall is already heavily involved dealing munitions and armoured vehicles with Indonesia. The terms of their involvement in the Australian “Global Supply Chain Project” are to facilitate export arrangements.
for more information
Margaret Pestorius
Wage Peace
040321442
www.wagepeaceau.org
W: www.beyondwar.org.au
T/I: @wagepeaceau @beyondwarau @pestoriusm
I live on Aboriginal LandNever ceded. Mostly Yidindji Territory But also that of the Yuggera. I was born on the Land of the Turrbul.
#LestweForget the #FrontierWars
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