Dear Estella

 Thanks for writing. I’m very pleased to sign the call for a cultural and academic boycott.  This accompanying letter amply justifies the need for this action in clear and measured language.

 I’m afraid my capacity to organise supporting events is limited, but I’ll do what I can.

 Thanks for organising this. Clearly the situation is desperate.

 With warmest good wishes,

Ken

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0009n9z/question-time-2019-24102019

Segment starts 55 minutes in, starts talking about the Kurds at 56 minutes in.

 

Ken Loach (in answer to a question about border controls after the lorry deaths earlier this week): We know people trying to seek asylum from many other countries, war torn countries. I think we have to be much more intolerant of countries that abuse human rights. China is certainly one of them and there are many other countries as well I mean we don’t need to list them all but I think we need a United Nations. We need a UN that can actually impose some sense of morality on these self seeking warring nations. What’s happened in this instance is appalling but also what’s happened to the Kurds is appalling, I mean I’m surprised the Kurds aren’t trying to cross- they’re approaching genocide there

 

Fiona Bruce: You’re talking about the Kurds in Syria?

 

KL: Yes, yes

 

FB: And the US Troops who’ve withdrawn from Syria?
KL: Yes, exactly. Trump’s withdrawing the troops. And again, Turkey’s part of NATO. Why are we allowing that if NATO has any function?  Why are we allowing that? (*applause from audience*). It’s the general destabilisation of the global structure and the appalling abuse of human rights, certainly in China and in many other countries and we’ve contributed to that with our illegal war in Iraq as well. We have a much broader, more mature view of how we live on this planet together and how we inhabit it and how we preserve it and let’s think in those terms because that is the only way we will save humanity from wrecking each other and doing these appalling self sacrificial acts.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0009n9z/question-time-2019-24102019