Sir, - The time for any niceties or protocol has gone. We must stand up and be counted. On barren volcanic rock in Zaire, central Africa, more and more people are dying of thirst and hunger with each passing minute.
At a conservative estimate, based on Concern's record for one camp of 200,000 refugees, at least 40,000 babies were born since the camps were set up in 1994. Where are those innocents now? If not dead, they are dying in the arms of starving and despairing mothers. Where are the old and infirm? They too, are dying or dead.
All our leaders must raise their voices. I call on spiritual leaders to speak out, to raise their voices and prayers as they gather to worship in church, synagogue or mosque. This is the business of each one of us. Every pulpit, every group leader - trade union, sporting or cultural organisation, school or college, must demand action from our political leaders.
I call on our President, the Taoiseach, the leaders of the parties in Opposition, our MEPs to unite as a collective voice on an issue which is above and beyond divisions. The Minister, Ms Burton must know she speaks for all the people of Ireland, when she is in Central Africa with other EU ministers in the coming days.
Action is taking place at high levels, but it is not nearly enough or nearly urgent enough. There is a promise of a corridor to allow food to within 10 kms of where a few hundred thousand people are starving to death. Their choice is to starve where they are, or to come to that food. Then they must return to Rwanda, whether they wish to do so or not.
That flies in the face of all humanitarian principles and contradicts the UN Refugee Charter. The UN Refugee Commission is charged with providing safe refuge and protecting the human rights of those who fear to return to their country of origin.
The strong political line that there must not be any more camps for these refugees in Zaire must be vehemently opposed. There must be a choice given to people who are driven by starvation to come for food. They must be allowed to remain in properly registered refugee camps under UNHCR protection in Zaire or, if they so choose, to return to Rwanda. In this day and age, a few hundred thousand people cannot be presented solely with. the choice of starving or accepting forced repatriation. We can not allow this to happen.
Open the food channels now, or prepare to see the hundreds of corpses on your television screens in the next week or two. There must be concerted action to overcome the objections of any person or government opposing the immediate feeding of starving people. - Yours, etc.,
Chief executive, Concern, Camden Street, Dublin 2.