Stop the political repression in the Philippines - 800 killed

PROTEST: Stop the political repression in the Philippines.

Friday the 23rd march - 12:00 PM

Over 800 people including human rights activists, trade unionists, lawyers, bishops, workers etc have been assassinated by the Arroyo Regime in the Philippines. Opposition leaders have been abducted...

"Share our via dolorosa. Stand with us… hear us out. There is only one struggle for justice and peace and your liberation is tied to ours. The commonalities of the situation unite us."
This is WORSE than the Marcos dictatorship and is being FUNDED by YOUR government. SAS troops are also in the Philippines offering support to the Arroyo regime.

More than 800 churchmen, activists, peasant leaders and journalists have reportedly been killed in the six years that President Arroyo has been in office, the group pointed out – over 200 of them in 2006 alone.

STOP THE KILLINGS!
SILENT VIGIL

FIRDAY 23 MARCH
12 - 1.30PM
WESLEY CHURCH
CNR HAY & WILLIAM STREETS PERTH CITY

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA:
"The number of attacks on leftist activists and community workers rose sharply during the last couple of years. Most of the attacks were carried out by unidentified assailants on motorcycles, at times wearing face masks, who were often described as "vigilantes" or hired killers allegedly linked to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). In some cases, those attacked had reportedly been under surveillance by people linked to the security forces or had received death threats."

Background of the victims and location of attacks: The majority of the victims of political killings have been unarmed civilians, members of the legal political left, but including activists from a range of leftist sectoral or community organizations. Those killed have also included members of leftist groups who have split from the CPP. Both men and women have been targeted, with the victims including community organizers, church workers and priests, human rights activists, trade union and peasant leaders, journalists, indigenous peoples activists, elected local officials and political activists.

Attacks have occurred nationwide, though human rights and other organizations have noted periodic, marked increases in particular regions. According to local human rights groups, these regional fluctuations were allegedly linked to the assignment of Major General Palparan as commanding officer in these regions.

Communist "fronts": the resurgence of "red-labeling" - Human rights violations against suspected "sympathizers" of the CPP-NPA have long been a feature of anti-insurgency operations in the Philippines.

From the 1970's to the early 1990's the practice of "red-labeling", the public labeling of leftist critics of the government as "subversives" or members of communist "front organizations", was seen by Amnesty International, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines and other human rights groups as directly linked to the high levels of extrajudicial executions, "disappearances", arbitrary arrests and torture of members of legal political groups and non-governmental organizations.

Peasants, trade unionists, church, social and human rights activists were portrayed in this manner as "legitimate" targets within the broader counter-insurgency campaign.

Many were also placed, without opportunity for rebuttal, on AFP "Orders of Battle" (lists of people wanted by the security forces for alleged subversion) and, often receiving death threats from AFP and police personnel, paramilitaries or unofficial vigilante groups, were at particular risk of serious human rights violations.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL March 14, 2007 - Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines

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On March 14, 2007, a ten-person team made of church leaders and human rights advocates from the Philippines briefed the US on the rash of unsolved political killings in the Philippines: "We can no longer be silent on the issue of these deaths," declared Bob Edgar, a former congressman and current Secretary General of the National Council of Churches of the USA.

More than 800 churchmen, activists, peasant leaders and journalists have reportedly been killed in the six years that President Arroyo has been in office, the group pointed out – over 200 of them in 2006 alone.

Activist groups warn of another People Power revolution: Dr. Carol Araullo warned that the Arroyo administration could face a "People Power revolution" if a cheating reoccurs in the May 14, 2007 elections.

From ABS-CBN NEWS

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"The Philippine Government has launched relentless military campaigns against the 'enemies of the state' and in the name of the 'rule of law' and 'political stability.' But the results of this strategy have been mounting reports of dead bodies sprawled on highways and bushes, of female students abducted by armed men in the dead of night, never to be seen again, of the cries of anguish of mothers as their sons – felled by assassins' bullets – die in their arms, of a well-loved bishop bathed in his own blood after being stabbed several times, and of children terrorized and traumatized by soldiers who have taken over their villages."

Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes issued a challenge: "Share our via dolorosa. Stand with us… hear us out. There is only one struggle for justice and peace and your liberation is tied to ours. The commonalities of the situation unite us."

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_83474_ENG_HTM.htm">Hearings detail government-backed killings in Philippines: Episcopal News Service