PGPO WILL STUDY SEA LAW FOR LEGAL IMPLICATION ON ISRAEL BOARDING MAVI MARMARA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- The Perdana Global Peace Organisation
(PGPO) will study the law of the sea to find the legal implication on Israel's
action to board the lead ship of the humanitarian aid flotilla, Mavi Marmara.

PGPO chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad said once they knew the legal implication,
the organisation would take action on Israel.

"What Israel has done is actually piracy and now Israel is detaining the
ship...that is wrong. Once we know the legal implication, what are the
provisions of the law of the sea, then we can take some action," he told
reporters after the closing of the international conference, "Breaking
the Siege: In the Spirit of Rachel Corrie and Mavi Marmara" by Deputy Prime
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, here, Sunday.

Dr Mahathir who is Maaysia's former prime minister, said if the action could
not be taken against Israel, "at least Malaysia can show to the world that
Israel is a state that does not follow any international law".

He said PGPO would continue to try break the siege from the sea and would
also continue to go to Gaza through Rafah to give humanitarian aid to the
Palestinians.

"The blockade by sea is still on, but we will continue to bring in aid by
land and sea. We are going to watch whether the declaration by Egypt that they
would be opening Rafah for people to bring in aid to Gaza will be honoured,"
he said.

On May 31, the Israeli military boarded Mavi Marmara, the lead ship of the
humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza and killed nine activists and injured
about a dozen more.

Twelve Malaysians were among more than 550 others on board the Mavi Marmara
and six other Malaysians on MV Rachel Corrie, a cargo ship which was seized by
the Israeli military while it was in international waters headed for Gaza in
June.

PGPO funded two passenger ships and the MV Rachel Corrie.

Asked what the younger generation could learn from Israel's aggression
towards Palestine, Dr Mahathir said they must be exposed and learn that there
were people who were suffering much more than those who claimed they were
suffering.

"They think they are not getting enough of this and that, but there are
people out there who are actually starving to death, people who are being
killed, attacked and deprived of food," he said.
-- BERNAMA