Migrants, Refugees and Advocates Forged Strong Unity in Calling for End to Genocide in Gaza and Resist Imperialist War
The International Migrants Alliance together with Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin (SSP) and TENAGANITA successfully organised the Solidarity Conference on War, Militarism and Displacement to commemorate the first anniversary of the attack on Gaza by the Zionist Israeli Forces and strengthen unity and solidarity against imperialist war, exploitation and plunder. The conference was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 26 and 27, 2024.
Attended by 25 participants from various countries, the conference was highlighted with sharing and discussion on the ongoing US-backed Israeli-led genocide in Gaza and occupation of Palestine, peoples’ struggles against militarism and conflict in West Papua, Myanmar and Kurdistan among others, situations and challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees, and a solidarity cultural festival to express Malaysian and international people’s solidarity with Palestine. The conference was concluded with the approval of a unity statement against war and militarism with an emphasis on Palestine, and our next steps as an alliance to continue our campaigns against war, militarism and displacement.
IMA chairperson Eni Lestari opened the conference by laying down the objectives of the conference and calling for stronger unity to understand the ongoing conflicts that beset the Palestinian people and many peoples across the world and build a movement for justice and peace. She was followed by keynote speeches by Cody Urban of the International League of People’s Struggle and Tian Chua of SSP. Urban opened with a strong solidarity message to all peoples affected and displaced by current acts of imperialist aggression around the world. Chua connected what is happening in Gaza to struggles back in our home countries, calling the migration system a form of ‘apartheid’ in and of itself. Videos of solidarity messages from the International Women’s Alliance and IMA Europe were played while the solidarity message from IMA USA was read.
The panel on war, conflict and displacement focused on three genocides currently happening; against the Rohingyas, West Papuans and Palestinians. The speaker from the Rohingya community, Hafsar Tameesuddin, shared their experiences of displacement, seeking asylum and the difficulties of navigating government bureaucracy with xenophobic misinformation peddled by the Myanmese and international media. The speaker from West Papua, Victor Yeimo, also expressed similar struggles to the Rohingya people, and his concern over media silence on the West Papuan people’s struggle. A video of Leila Khaled addressing a recent ILPS webinar was also played to highlight the recent attacks by Israel on Gaza and its global impact.
The second panel was composed of asylum seekers and refugees in Malaysia, from different communities; Cameroon, Liberia/West Africa, Sudan, Iran and Afghanistan. All shared their personal stories and experiences of their treatment as refugees. Their common campaigns are for job security, access to essential services such as health and education, and the freedom to travel. They are also calling for the de-stigmatisation of ‘refugees’ and ‘asylum-seekers’, and want to be seen as the same as everyone else with a hopeful future. Some have started grassroots refugee organisations to support their communities however they can. The IMA is looking forward to working with their organisations.
The third panel focused on women affected by conflict and displacement, and the struggles that migrant women face in particular. The first speaker was María Elena Osorio, a Colombian refugee living in Chile, who explained the history and current trends in irregular migration of millions of Latin Americans due to poverty and violence, felt especially by women and children. Joanna Concepcion of Migrante International highlighted the dangers of foreign military bases and their negative impacts on women in the surrounding communities. She also highlighted how the US government continues to place its military bases and positions in Asia and the Pacific. Şilan Ergin, a second-generation Kurdish living in Germany, provided alternative practices that her organisation implements to ensure the development of women’s rights and liberation in a progressive society. The final speaker, Farwina Faroque from BDS-Malaysia, also provided ways to support women in various conflict areas including Palestine, and how best to show our solidarity.
The fourth panel focused on the experiences, challenges and lessons on building solidarity and resistance movements globally. Yoshio Nakamura of AWC-Japan, shared his experiences in coordinating anti-war campaigns across the Asia-Pacific, and emphasised the importance of mutual solidarity in maintaining an organisation. Khairul Falah Bin Shamsul Bahrain of Belia Harmoni Malaysia, stressed the importance of the role of students and the youth in building solidarity campaigns to carry forward into the future.
The conference closed with fruitful discussions on our points of unity against war and militarism, and our next steps in developing campaigns and actions to address displaced peoples’ concerns. A unity statement, proceedings and official communiqué of this solidarity conference will be released in the coming weeks.
The participants of the conference enjoyed a cultural solidarity event organised by SSP, with performances of poetry reading, musical pieces and speeches from distinguished guests. Both the conference and cultural event were a great success, with many consolidations made in terms of learning, sharing and gathering of new friends who will help make our Alliance a more powerful advocate for grassroots migrants, refugees and displaced peoples everywhere.
