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COVID-19. How should the peace movement respond? [Image: US Marines firing live ammunition on deployment in the Northern Territory in 2016.]
Andrew: Welcome to this edition of Alternative News, produced by CICD, the Campaign for International Co-operation and Disarmament and broadcast at 9:15 am every Sunday morning on Melbourne’s Community Radio station 3CR.
My name’s Andrew and I have with me Bevan Ramsden from IPAN, the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network. Today we’ll discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and how IPAN and the wider peace movement have responded to this dire emergency.
Bevan, IPAN recently voiced its concern regarding the planned arrival into Darwin this month of the next rotation of US marines. IPAN pointed out that if this went ahead, it would directly contravene the governments’policy of closing our borders to guard against the coronavirus. What exactly did IPAN say?
Bevan: The IPAN committee noted that, because the United States is rapidly becoming a major hotspot for COVID-19,the annual US Marine deployment into Darwin could bring the virus with it.IPAN further noted that, although the Australian Government had ruled that no foreigners be allowed into Australia, it had not specifically included the US Marines in this prohibition and felt that, in order to protect the residents of Darwin, the Government should totally rule out US Marines arriving at this time. IPAN published a media release voicing its concerns as well as contacting the Defence Department and the Minister of Defence by letter, email and phone to urge cancellation of the troop deployment.
On 30thMarch, the Minister of Defence made this announcement: “After careful deliberation, the Government has decided not to proceed with the 2020 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) deployment at this