PEO tried to hide or manipulate what they have done on September 1st

Dear Editor of Kathimerini,



We have read PEO’s reply to Kathimerini newspaper regarding the September 1st event and we were shocked that PEO tried to hide or manipulate what they have done on September 1st. Everything took place in front of hundreds of people who can verify this. Even if people did not see, they could hear our slogans, see our banners and our movement away from the demonstration area when PEO imposed their position.

PEO has sent a reply to Kathimerini newspaper and said that this was not a big issue, but for us, as YKP, yes, it is a huge issue.

The UN tried to stop the bi-communal event because they judged and decided that one of the banners was provocative. PEO threat us that they would use force to close down this banner. Yes, we are using the correct word when we use the word “threat”. PEO representatives said to us, to the General Secretary of YKP, that if we did not close the banner ourselves that they would use force to close it. Further to that, PEO representatives used verbal violence at the field, shouting with their body language and threatening us.

It is shameful that the UN can decide to stop a bi-communal event based on their judgement. After 2003 the UN have been behaving in a manner that is not helping the bi-communal events but mainly they (the UN) create problems in using the Buffer Zone, Ledra Palace Hotel etc. Every time they create a long bureaucratic list with which they try to prevent us from doing bi-communal events in the Buffer Zone and Ledra Palace Hotel. In the paste Ledra Palace Hotel was a nest for bi-communal activities, however, lately it seems to be more militaristic and just be used by UN soldiers.

On September 1st 2008 and 2009 and May 1st 2009 we organized bi-communal demonstrations in the Buffer Zone, in which PEO did not participate and again the UN tried to create trouble, but because of the unity of the organizers they withdrew their demands and the bi-communal events occurred successfully.

It is shameful because PEO every time uses the term “comrade” but they leave us on our own against the UN soldiers. Not only did they leave us on our own, but they also threat and attacked us verbally and with their body language at the field. PEO representatives came together with the UN soldiers and tried to impose to us which banners and which slogans are forbidden.

However, with the unity of Cypriots, Turkish and Greek Cypriots, some groups and parties, YKP’s members, BARAKA Cultural Centre, Cypriot Youth Platform (KGP) and some trade unionists, we resisted and we won over UN’s arrogant behaviour but also PEO’s bureaucratic barriers.

PEO were not with us during the last 3 years and they just came to join the bi-communal event in the Buffer Zone. We would like to welcome them but we hope that next time they are ready to fight for freedom of speech and solidarity to their comrades, because as YKP we know what we want, we want the reunification of Cyprus and Cypriots and we will continue to fight for it, we are ready to defend our banners, our slogans at all levels and in all conditions.



YKP Executive Board

9/9/10