Welsh Campaigners Welcome St Athan Standstill
Those working to halt the building of the proposed Military Academy at St Athan have welcomed this week’s announcement by defence minister Bob Ainsworth that the decision whether or not to go ahead with the St Athan Military ‘Academy’ will not be made until Spring 2009 – and the contract not to be signed until 15 months later (1).
While peace and justice campaigners remain resolute in their campaign to stop the St Athan White Elephant completely, they consider this hold-up to be a partial victory in their campaign against the militarisation of Wales and the privatisation of the armed forces.
Campaigners against the academy are opposed to the proposed furthering of the already over-militarisation of Wales to create ‘a place of excellence’ (sic) for new military techniques such as ‘remote killing’ using satellite, computer spying and targeting of missiles and unmanned military vehicle technology.
CND Cymru Chair Jill Evans has opposed the proposals for St Athan since their inception. St Athan Academy represents a publically funded privatisation of military training which would be available to any regime or private company with the ready cash to pay, and would lock Wales in to a reliance on the manufacture and sale of armaments.
The St Athan military training proposal is also already having a ‘militarising’ effect on the curriculum of educational institutions in South Wales and of the Open University (2).
At a commemoration ceremony at Penyberth, Lleyn this September, Dafydd Iwan said:
“Wales is recognised for its traditions of peace and reconciliation. I want to see those traditions continue, and for us to become a driving force for peace in the world, a task for which we have the skills and the potential.
“Instead the British government would make us the centre of training for war, putting that training in the hands of multinational arms companies. It is important that the facts are revealed. “
“We are opposed to the privatisation of military training.” (3)
Visitors to the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff this summer overwhelmingly expressed shame and disgust at the idea of the military educational establishment which would be the biggest PFI deal in Wales, do nothing to address the causes of conflict in the world and promote international economic bullying that does not serve the poor and needy.
This week’s news have caused speculation that by the spring of 2009, the deepening financial crisis may have made it even less likely that the St Athan Military Academy project will actually go ahead. Despite the credit crunch, energy crisis and threat of global
warming our Government and its supporters continue to lack the long term principles and vision necessary to make the future safer for future generations.
Peace, justice and environmental campaigners are deeply concerned that as sustainability is a core value for government in Wales, then this aspiration has been completely ignored in the rush to hand money over to multinational arms dealers and their friends.
ENDS
1. Hansard: House of Commons 9th October 2008 Column 453 Mr. Ainsworth: “Hon. Members will be aware that progress on defence training review package 1 has been more difficult and prolonged than expected. However, I can report that considerable progress has been made in driving down costs and towards achieving an affordable, value-for-money package 1, which is on track for an investment decision next spring, with the contract signature to come approximately 15 months later.”
2. “The development of the Defence Training Academy at St. Athan would have implications for the Education service. These ranged from planning and providing school places to the potential development of new curriculum pathways for 14-19. This would need tofeature in the work of the Committee for the foreseeable future.” Vale of Glamorgan Scrutiny Committee January 21 2008.
3. Jill Evans MEP and Dafydd Iwan joined Rev. Guto Prys ap Gwynfor to light a flame of peace at Penyberth, near Pwllheli in September this year. The event commemorated the fire lit by Saunders Lewis, Rev. Lewis Valentine and DJ Davies to stop the
building of a bombing school there in 1936. The event sent a clear message to the politicians in Cardiff Bay and London of the need
to oppose the proposed military academy at St Athan.
www.cymdeithasycymod.org.uk/saintathan-saesneg.htm+penyberth+cymdeithas
4.Cynefin y Werin (Common Ground) is an all Wales network of organisations which promotes equality, peace, justice, human
rights and co-operation between nations, peoples and communities on the basis of sustainable environmental, economic and social
development. See www.cynefinywerin.org.uk
Groups active on this campaign include CND Cymru, Cymdeithas y Cymod and the No2St Athan Military Academy
For interviews or more information contact:
Jill Gough National Secretary CND Cymru: 0845 313 8 414 (until 11am) 07704 675787 after 1pm e: heddwch@cndcymru.org
Dafydd Iwan : Saturday am 07984 202 922
Jill Evans MEP CND Cymru Chair: 01443 434 232 or 07803 902 401
CND Cymru works for international peace and disarmament and a world in which the vast resources now devoted to militarism are redirected to
the real needs of the human community.
Mae CND Cymru yn gweithio dros heddwch a diarfogi rhyngwladol a byd lle mae’r adnoddau anferth a ddefnyddir ar hyn o bryd I ddibenion
milwrol wedi eu hailgyfeirio I ateb gwir anghenion y ddynolryw
