KEETCH SUPPORTS FAR EAST PRISONERS OF WAR MEMORIAL CAMPAIGN

3.30.50pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th Jul 2004

Paul Keetch MP with the children of prisoners of the Second World War

Local Lib Dem MP, Paul Keetch, who is shadow Defence Secretary, met the children of Far East prisoners of the Second World War yesterday (July 5th) in the House of Commons to show his support for a fund raising campaign to raise an extra £55,000 to help complete an educational and cultural centre in their honour.

The members of the COFEPOW project (children and families of the Far East prisoners of war) are the war babies and siblings of many thousands of men who died on the Thai/Burma railway, in Formosa, Japan and in Burma as well as others.

Mr. Keetch listened as Mrs. Catherine Butcher recalled the story of her father a brave RSM, Mr. Alexander Munnoch MBE who was captured in Singapore in 1941. Mrs. Butcher's was one of thousands of stories of the men who died. The centre will aim to encompass the whole story of events during this unprecedented chapter in history and will include the name and rank of all those taken prisoner during the South East Asia conflict.

"This project is important as it focuses on an issue in an area of the world that can be too often forgotten in Second World War history", said Mr. Keetch.

The COFEPOW fund raising Campaign aims to have the building completed by the 15th August 2005, the 60th anniversary of the Japanese surrender.