"AN OPEN LETTER
10 April 2002

Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General
Mr. Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel
Mr. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian People's Liberation Organization

Your Excellencies:

The Christian Conference of Asia, a fellowship of 121 member councils and churches in Asia, with a membership of more than 55 million individuals, writes to express its grave distress at the horrifying escalation of violence in the Occupied Territories.

As Christians who revere Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus the Christ, hence, the city that symbolizes the advent of "peace on earth and good will to all," we express our disgust and horror because of what is going on there that contradicts peace and good will among the races and peoples of the Middle East.

We join with our member councils and churches, the Middle East Council of Churches, and the World Council of Churches in decrying the most expansive military operation in the Occupied Territories since 1982. The level of destruction of human life has been termed by the General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches as "genocidal."

The invasion of refugee camps, killing of innocent people, reoccupation of West Bank towns and cities, withholding of access to basic facilities such as food, ambulances, access to hospitals and safe passage to bury the dead are deeply shocking.

Closure of areas such as Ramallah to press scrutiny and refusal to facilitate the presence of international peace monitors ignites fears that dastardly deeds may be being done with impunity. Surely all this is a violation of the will of God, the Creator and Lord of the universe! We urge that the United Nations immediately implement the UN Security Council Resolutions 1397(2002) and 1402(2002), in order to effect immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of occupation troops from Palestinian cities and resumption of the peace process.

We express our solidarity with all peace-loving people of the region, both Israeli and Palestinian. It is our prayer and hope that "justice will roll down like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24). This means recognising the rights of the Palestinian as well as the Israeli people.

Withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders and recognition of a Palestinian state, dismantling of settlements on Palestinian land, together with acceptance of the status of the recognised leader of the Palestinian people, Yasser Arafat, will form a sound basis for peace not only in Israel and Palestine, but will benefit the whole region and the world. Achieving this will require international monitoring and supervision by the international community as a whole.

Terror begets terror; murder is a spiral which destroys democracy and all decent human values. A political solution needs to be urgently found. Every burst of gunfire, every aerial bombardment, every death of an innocent child will make the inevitable political compromises more difficult to achieve.

We hope and pray that a just peace will be found. We pray with the psalmist:

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for God will speak peace to God's people, to God's saints,
to those who turn to God in their hearts.
Surely God's salvation is at hand for those who fear God,
that glory may dwell in our land. (Psalm 85:8-9)

May we all pray and work and live for God's own glory!

Very sincerely,

Ahn Jae Woong
General Secretary"

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