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Saudis’ Indiscriminate Killing of Yemenis Draws Ire from China’s President and International Academics
19 April 2015
EIRNS —Almost simultaneous to the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif submitting a four-point peace plan for Yemen in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to end the killings, Chinese President Xi Jinping coveyed his urgent message today to Saudi King Salman by telephone, urging him to make greater efforts to seek a political solution to the crisis in Yemen, Reuters reported, citing China’s Foreign Ministry. Also today, the Washington Post reported a group of 18 Yemen scholars and experts based in the United States, Britain and Iraq have published an open letter, decrying the near month-long Saudi bombing campaign in the country. The letter argued the Saudi-led war "is illegal under international law," and urged American and British officials to push for a UN Security Council resolution, demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. The letter also said: "The targets of the campaign include schools, homes, refugee camps, water systems, grain stores and food industries. This has the potential for appalling harm to ordinary Yemenis, as almost no food or medicine can enter. Yemen is the poorest country of the Arab world in per capita income, yet rich in cultural plurality and democratic tradition. Rather than contributing to the destruction of the country, the U.S. and U.K. should support a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire and use their diplomatic influence to strengthen the sovereignty and self-government of Yemen." Ramtanu Maitra |
