Professor Yves Cabannes, a United Nations adviser on forced eviction, met with Dale Farm residents today to talk about the findings of a recent report and said 'A study which I led on forced eviction found that at Dale Farm, and the UK in general, the Government is violating international human rights law on three points. 'These are the right to adequate housing, the right to be defended from forced eviction and discrimination.' He added that 'Basildon Council have failed to provide the pitches it should make available to travellers' and that those who are abusing the law are the council, not the travellers. The council is not fulfilling its duties. The petition supporting the United Nations call to delay the eviction suntil legal obligations are met by the UK government had reached 6768 names by today. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dalefarm/signatures ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In an open letter to the Government 62 MP's and Charities called on a halt to the evictions. We urge the government to review its support for the planned eviction of Dale Farm Travellers' site until such time as culturall appropriate accommodation has been identified and provided. The UN committee on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination has requested that the UK government suspend the planned eviction at Dale Farm and secure a peaceful and appropriate solution, including identifying culturally appropriate accommodation, with full respect for the rights of the children and families involved. We support the committee's request and urge the government to seek that Basildon, neighbouring councils in Essex and the residents of Dale Farm resume negotiations. An amicable solution which respects the human rights of both the Traveller and the settled communities must be found. Such a solution should provide enough land for those families currently living on the 51 pitches which are subject to eviction. We strongly believe that the planned eviction is inhumane and will pose particular risk to the welfare of children, young people, pregnant women, and disabled, sick and elderly residents. The planned eviction does not provide a long-term solution to the issue and would be an unnecessary waste of £18m of taxpayers' money. We urge the government to support a peaceful, long-term solution and to withdraw the funding allocated by the Home Office and the Department for Communities for the eviction of Dale Farm. Yvonne MacNamara Director, Irish Traveller Movement in Britain Andy Slaughter MP Andrew George MP Chair, all-party parliamentary group for Gypsy Roma and Travellers David Ward MP Katy Clark MP Alan Meale MP John McDonnell MP Chris Ruane MP Lord Eric Avebury Lord Nigel Jones Baroness Janet Whitaker Lord McKenzie of Luton Baroness Elizabeth Deirdre Doocey Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde Lord Jeremy Beecham Lord Hylton Lord Rea Lord Alf Dubs Viscount of Falkland Lord Roberts of Llandudno Baroness Hussein-Ece Shami Chakrabarti Director, Liberty Bob Reitemeier Chief executive, The Children's Society Simon Woolley Director, Operation Black Vote Jean Candler British Institute of Human Rights Rodney Bickerstaffe Former secretary general of Unison Jennie McShannon Chief executive, Federation of Irish Societies Patrick Yu Executive director, Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities Vivienne Hayes Director, Women's Resource Centre Anna Watson Friends of the Earth Dr Rob Berkeley Director, Runnymede Trust Rahana Mohammed Race on the Agenda Rosie Bairwal Catholic Association for Racial Justice Lee Eggleston Chair, Rape Crisis (England and Wales) Tim Hopkins Director, The Equality Network Elizabeth Sclater Secretary general, Older Peoples Network (Europe) Debbie Kohner Committee on the Administration of Justice Pragna Patel Director, Southall Black Sisters Les Allamby Director, Law Centre (NI) Barbara Cohen Director, Discrimination Law Association Eleanor Lisney Disabled People Against Cuts Sue Robson NEWomen's Network Ratna Lachman Director, JUST West Yorkshire Karen Chouhan Equanomics Susan Alexander Travellers Aid Trust Conn Mac Gabhann Irish Chaplaincy in Britain Helen Jones Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange Niki Kandirikirira Engender Dr Kevin McNamara Retired Labour MP David Watkinson Barrister, Garden Court Chambers Timothy Jones Barrister, No. 5 Chambers Liz Davies Barrister, Garden Court Chambers, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers Sister Patricia Bell The Institute of our Lady of Mercy Sister Lynda Dearlove Women at the Well Tony Lindsay Cambridge Racial Incident Support project Bernadette McAliskey South Tyrone Empowerment Programme Candy Sheridan The Gypsy Council Siobhan Spencer Director, Derbyshire Gypsy Liason Group Pete Mercer National Federation of Gypsy Liason Groups Mrs Tanver Parnez Black & Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland Tim Brogden London Voluntary Service Council
