KDP’s statement in the 23rd anniversary of Halabja

The politburo of Kurdistan Democratic Party has published a statement for the 23rd anniversary of chemical bombardment of Halabja.

Here is the text of the statement:

“Families of Halabja martyrs,

Relatives of all martyrs of Kurdish nation,

Dear citizens,

The anniversary of chemical bombardment of Halabja city with internationally abandoned weapons is not only an opportunity for reminding this brutal event every year in March 16, but also a chance for renewing our promise and duty to our nation and to prove the legality of the demand of a nation who faced blood-thirsty, nasty and barbaric regime, a nation who struggled for freedom and sacrifice many lives. A nation who stood against all unfairness and could win, while defeat his enemies.

Since the chauvinist ideas remain alive and has been expressed in different shapes, the process of bombarding of Halabja remains as a threat for our nations and repeating such events always remains as a possibility. Such situation demands our unity as a national duty; this is a reality which cannot be denied.

Although, Halabja event, Anfal and all other brutal acts done by Baath regime against our nation defined as acts against humanity, named genocide and penalties dictator Sadam Husain and his loyalist to the chauvinist regime, yet Kurdish nation and their gains are facing politics come from the same source of thought, those who do not want to see Kurdistan calm and in peace. Although, they cannot reach our secure region and demolish it for sure, yet they are seriously standing against Kirkuk and departed places, started terrorist attacks and distractive movements, at the same time within the political process of Iraq, they are against democratic principles, the Iraqi constitution and stand against the article number 140 and all other articles related to federation law, which can guarantee freedom and political and social progress of the region.

When city of Halabja became a target of barbaric, brutal and nasty attack of Baath regime by poison gases which, as a result 5000 citizens of the city lost their lives, while hundreds has been wounded, was a period when international community ignored inhuman crimes done against our nation. Fortunately, nowadays as a consequence of political development of our local governance and progress in social, political and economical levels in our region and as a result of the significant role of our political leaders in rebuilding a new Iraq, the stance of international community in relation with us turns positively. We also have to participate in the process of general reform, strength the basic principles of democracy, demolish corruption and eliminate all those barriers in the process of development in our region. In doing so, we will follow our constitution and our organized institutions, spreading legal bureaucrats. As a result we will create a peaceful, secure and safe society.

Today when we remain our self the event of Halabja, Kurdistan region lives in a sensitive situation, the first step to spend this situation safely is to save our national gains, which is a product of our efforts and hurts faced 5000 martyrs of Halabja, 180,000 martyrs of Anfal and 80,000 lost Barzanies, Kurdish Fillies and thousand of Peshmarga who lost their lives in the war -arena or in prisons. They became sacrifice under the role of chauvinist regimes of Iraq. In order to save our gains, the government of Kurdistan should pay attention to the legal demand of Kurdish people, offering better services, obtains necessity for their life and perform in a better way in relations to different issues. In addition to that, the political line of our community have to be clarifies and rebuild in a way which can be able to strength our intelligence and became an opportunity to develop our potential at the same time pay attention to strategic issue within the Iraqi government ,make sure that our national interests among them article number 140 going to implement in Iraqi parliament based on our political will and within the participation of all other political parties in the region as it has also suggested by President Masoud Barzani both to Parliament of Kurdistan and Iraq.

In this anniversary, we repeat for another time that Halabja city and its citizens deserve more than these, which done for them. Improving services, obtaining the life necessity of the people of Halabja and respecting the demand of them must be the key duty of Kurdistan Regional government and Kurdish Fraction in Iraqi parliament.

We as Kurdistan Democratic Party attempts to make the anniversary of Halabja a cause for living together in peace, for further development and for unified our nation in general and different political sides in particular, in order to focus our efforts to rebuild Halabja and other parts of Kurdistan. Also it must be a motivator for us to improve democratic system in our region, develop our national skills and experience of governing and try to live together peacefully disregard to our differentiation of religion, ethnic or national identity.

- Viva martyrs of our nation

-Our best regards to the family of martyrs of Halabja, we also want to repeat our promise to save their national gains and will be continue in protecting the gain of our nation.

- Hope successes for the process of democratization of Kurdistan region, which is an achievement of the blood of thousand s martyrs and brave Peshmarga forces

Politburo of Kurdistan democratic party