Letter to Hyundai about their support for the World Cup in Qatar

Dear Dr Chung Mong-Joon,

I have purchased two Hyundai cars in the last ten years and sincerely hope I go on to buy more but that depends not on your car build as you’ve proven to me your cars are reliable and the quality is not in question – no it is something else.

I love football, I love the World Cup, but I’m concerned……concerned that, in front of my eyes, the World Cup is changing into something ugly – something that I can’t in good conscience stay quiet about.

The greatest sporting event on earth, is being built on the back of countless human rights abuses. Migrant workers in Qatar are being forced to work in desperate conditions, in fact more will die delivering the World Cup than players will play in it. Which is why I’m writing to you. As a sponsor, you make the World Cup happen. You are therefore responsible for what is happening in your name. In football’s name. In the name of all those who love football.

You say that you respect workers’ rights and have pledged to ensure they are upheld for all workers your business touches. But FIFA corruption means this counts for nothing. Football’s governing body is turning a blind eye as this tragedy unfolds. It’s time to make your influence felt. I ask nothing more, but for you to stand up for your principles. I  ask you make a public statement condemning the FIFA corruption that allows human rights abuses in Qatar. I ask you support #newFIFAnow’s campaign for FIFA reform. I ask you clean up the Hypocrisy World Cup or I won’t consider a Hyundai when next purchasing a car. I also hear reports that you are considering standing as President of FIFA which I sincerely hope you address the appalling working conditions in Qatar. If indeed you are elected as the president and address this issue and the many others I’m sure you will go onto reform the organisation in a positive way.

I look forward to your reply.

Thank you, Ian Fleming

Children in Military Custody in Palestine

Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith
54 Bondgate Within,
Alnwick,
Northumberland
NE66 1JD

8 February 2014

To Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith,

In June 2012, the UK FCO-funded independent legal report, Children in Military Custody, found Israel in breach of international law and human rights treaties regarding the treatment of Palestinian children in the military court system.
In March 2013, the UN published its own report, Children in Israeli Military Detention (March 2013), which came to very similar conclusions and recommendations. These findings are supported by reports from both Israeli & Palestinian advocacy groups on the ground.
Despite this overwhelming evidence, Israel has made very little effort to implement the recommendations and Palestinian children continue to be maltreated and abused within the system.
I am therefore writing to ask you to sign the pledge below created by Action for Palestinian Children in support of human rights for Palestinian children, and to do what you can within parliament to press the UK government to act on its moral and legal obligations in this matter.

I would like you to call on the Israel authorities to implement, in full, the 40 recommendations made in the Children in Military Custody report (www.childreninmilitarycustody.org).

You can sign the pledge here: http://action4palestinianchildren.org/sign-the-pledge-2/

Please let me know if you are willing to sign the pledge or not. If you are not, I would be grateful to know your reasons.

Thank you

Ian Fleming
The Pledge

We, the undersigned, support the campaign by Action for Palestinian Children to ensure the rights of Palestinian children are upheld in accordance with international human rights treaties and international law.
We call on Israel to act immediately to implement these recommendations as a matter of urgency:

1. An end to Israel’s nighttime raids and shackling of Palestinian children;
2. Audio-visual recordings of all interrogations;
3. Parents given the right to be present during questioning and
the child’s right to access to a lawyer before their interrogation respected;
4. An end to the transfer of children to prisons inside Israel in breach of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention;
5. An end to the use of solitary confinement.
We further call upon Israel to implement, in full, all 40 recommendations made in the independent legal report, Children in Military Custody.

http://action4palestinianchildren.org/sign-the-pledge-2/

Response to the Article in The Journal 31 January.

Dear editor

RE: Martin Callahan & Daniel Hannan

I was interested in the article on Britain and the EU written by Conservative MEPs Martin Callanan and Daniel Hannan (Journal 31st January). I agree with them, when they write, that there is a lot at stake in this May’s European election. However the European elections are not a referendum on whether or not we remain in the EU but about electing the best people to represent us whilst we are members.
Both Callanan and Hannan sit on the right wing of the Conservative Party. Their shared real view is they would prefer Britain to leave the EU and this is also the view of UKIP therefore you have to question how can representatives who don’t want to be there negotiate the best deals for the UK and this region
The European Parliament is different to our Westminster Parliament in that most of the agreements are made in committees through debate and amendments so when UKIP MEP’s fail to attend committee meetings you have to question how they can claim to represent the region that elected them.
This region has benefitted more than most from our membership of the EU not just financially with funding for regeneration projects but also through legislation which gives workers the right to paid holidays, equal rights for part time workers and extended maternity leave. Our beaches are safer and cleaner, we have better labelling on food packaging and mobile phone roaming charges are lower. These are just some of the benefits which affect our day to day lives and which were fought for by labour MEP’s.
If the Tories win the general election in 2015 they will hold a referendum and like Scotland is doing now we will have the debate about whether or not it is better for the UK to remain a member of the EU any vote to leave (should that happen) is unlikely to result in our immediate departure therefore at this time we need to consider which political party will represent our region’s best interests without one eye on the exit door.

Regards

Ian Fleming

Tell John Lewis: stop stocking Sodastream

Dear Mr. Street,

I have been a customer of John Lewis for many years but unfortunately this is now going to have to end. I will no longer shop at your store until I hear that you have taken the decision not to stock soda stream brand at your store. Did you sell products from the South African apartheid regime ? Selling products in your store that have anything to do with an Israeli state that terrorises and discriminates against a population for its ethnicity is unacceptable please stop stocking this product.

If you didn’t already know Sodastream’s main factory is in a settlement – Mishor Adumim – in the Occupied West Bank. These settlements are illegal under international law, and an obstacle to peace – therefore settlement production relies on, and supports, an activity that is illegal.

This is not a matter of having a view – this is plain and simple illegal under international law. The UK government guidance has warned businesses like John Lewis to look at the issues of reputational, legal and economic risks if they do business with Israel’s illegal settlements. This is a good way to lose reputation and custom. Israeli companies operating in the West Bank enjoy cheap land and water, confiscated from the indigenous Palestinian owners; a captive Palestinian labour force; tax benefits; and lax regulation of environmental and labour protection laws.

It’s important to note “rights, interests and well-being” of the hundreds of its employees who are drawn from Palestinian towns and villages is the same argument used by British and South African politicians against boycott during Apartheid South Africa. Palestinians themselves are clear that what they would like is to determine the future of their own land. Settlement businesses damage rather than support the Palestinian economy. If I could draw you atttention to the World Bank report which has calculated that the restrictions to land (part of the Israel’s occupation and settlement infrastructure) results in loss to the Palestinian economy at about US$3.4 billion (October 2013) SodaStream misleads consumers by labelling home beverage carbonating devices as “Made in Israel” despite being made in an illegal settlement. John Lewis are complicit in this deception by stocking the products.

I urge you to withdraw SodaStream products in an effort to stop these illegal settlements which in turn would send a message to the Israel Government.

Regards

Ian Fleming

My letter to CEO of Sainsbury’s

Dear Mr King

Re: No trade with companies that support settlements.

As a consumer who wishes to shop ethically, I am calling on Sainsbury’s to stop using all suppliers that trade in products from illegal Israeli settlements.
These settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land and are illegal under international law.

In April 2013, The Co-operative stated that in line with its ethical policy it would ‘no longer engage with any supplier of produce known to be sourcing from the Israeli settlements’.

Please follow the Co-operative’s good example.

Yours sincerely

Ian Fleming