25 April 2008

To:  His Excellency, Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations

From: Assyrian General Conference

Subject: UN secretary general's special envoy to Iraq, Mr. Stefan De Mistura

Your Excellency

With all due respect respect, this letter is submitted to your high office hoping that it will get your immediate attention.

 Regarding the UN secretary general's special envoy to Iraq, Mr. Stefan De Mastura, the following expresses our concerns and response to his assigned mission.

Under the current conditions and threats, by the Kurdish authorities and their militia (Peshmerga), against our people, it will be unfair to expect from them to express their free-will and their self-determination, it is unjust and unfair expectation, therefore the Assyrian General Conference is looking forward to seeing that the UN to do the following:

1. Work for normalization of the situation under international supervision and protection of the United Nations according to the census in 1957 before holding any referendum in the northern governorates of Iraq.

2. Consideration of the Assyrian General Conference demand and support the establishment of the Assyrians region in northern Iraq.

3. Taking into consideration the fact that the Nineveh Governorate and surroundings are linked to central administration.

4. Taking into consideration the current Dohuk governorate was one of the administrative districts of Nineveh Governorate.

5. The inclusion of Dohuk governorate in the disputed areas as it was subjected to demographic and geographic changes that negatively impacted on the Assyrian national presence and the issue of the province is still not resolved.

We would also like to let you know about our rejection of projects aimed at annexing the Nineveh plain to the Kurdish areas of influence and to draw your attention to illegal means followed by the Kurdish parties to change the reality of the region, and we demand that Nineveh governorate and surroundings linked to central administration.

Finally, we appreciate the efforts of the United Nations in establishing a stable and democratic Iraq, and we expect you attention to the fate of our people.

Yours sincerely

Ishaia Isho

President of the executive committee
Assyrian General Conference