Statement of the BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (BCCHRP)

HUMAN RIGHTS MUST GUIDE CANADA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS 

January 17, 2006 

Ample and clear evidence collected by the International Solidarity Mission in August 2005, and the numerous outrageous violations documented since then, demonstrate irrefutably the high rate of gross human rights violations being committed or condoned by the government of the Philippines. It is time Canada took a stand and withdrew its support for the Philippines on principles of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. 

The solidarity mission was followed by the International People’s Tribunal (IPT), “a political [mock] trial of the US-Arroyo regime for its crimes against the Filipino people.” On August 19, 2005, the IPT “tried and convicted” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President George Bush of crimes against humanity. The judgment was based on several highlighted cases, from summary executions and disappearances, to illegal detentions and torture. “They are outrageous and deserve the total condemnation of the international community,” said BCCHRP’s Vice-Chairperson, Erie Maestro.   

72 members of the progressive party-list, Bayan Muna, have been assassinated since 2001; the last two of these murders occurred in November and December, 2005. Two more journalists were shot dead in November, 2005, bringing the total journalists assassinated to 35 since 2001, 72 since the end of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. Church people are also under steady attack. Furthermore, national police and armed forces have massacred protestors twice since 2004, when officers opened fire on picketers and their supporters killing seven at Hacienda Luisita in November, 2004, and when soldiers gunned down nine farmers including two pregnant women in Leyte, Palo, Visayas on November 25, 2005. The government continues to step up repression against protestors in the streets of the national capital region as well: On October 4, 2005 at the Walk for Democracy for example, numerous unarmed and peaceful marchers were injured and arrested.  

In all there have been close to 4700 human rights violations under the GMA regime since 2001, including around 400 resulting deaths, over 100 of which were political assassinations. There are about 260 political prisoners, most of whom the government agreed to release a few years ago. Investigations into these gross violations reveal a pattern that adds up to an all out war on the people. GMA calls this strategy “CPR”, Calibrated Pre-emptive Response to wipe out insurgency by terrorizing all the population. Clearly, the most militant dissenters and progressive organizations are the special targets of this campaign of terror and the GMA-Bush regime, if merely implicated or suspected in many such cases, is not opening a mouth or lifting a finger to do anything about them regardless and would therefore be responsible for them. This military strategy combined with the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill and other so-called security measures amount to an undeclared Martial Law intended to perpetuate GMA’s seat in the palace of power. Why won’t Canada speak up and denounce the state repression and the impunity? 

After the ISM, Canadian human rights advocates met with an official of the Canadian Embassy in Manila. Canada provides development aid to the Philippines through Canadian International Development Assistance and some of the largest Canadian mining companies, such as Vancouver-based Placer Dome/Barrick Gold, are heavily involved in the mining the resources of the Philippines. Filipinos also comprise the fourth largest immigrant community in Canada.  
 

The Embassy official stated that Canada considers the Philippines to be a low and that there was little they could do to get the Philippine government to respect human rights.  As the Philippine government teeters on the edge of emergency rule, BCCHRP believes that present conditions clearly merit the suspension of Canada’s relations with the Philippines.  

Canada gave the Philippines a high rating during the Marcos regime in the 1980s and took a stand against Martial Law by suspending normal relations with the Philippine government. Despite its enactment of similar measures to freeze civil liberties such as a gag order against Congress persons and a “no permit, no rally” policy, and the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill passed by Congress (but fortunately blocked by the Senate), Foreign Affairs Canada currently rates the Philippines as a low priority and is carrying on with business as usual. BCCHRP is trying to persuade Canadians to join us in calling for Canada to withdraw its support for the GMA regime of the Philippines.  

In this time of global crisis, human rights violations are escalating in Canada and abroad as monopolies and their benefactors increase their wars of aggression and plunder and desperately try to rescue their dying system from the throes of popular movements for change and sovereignty. That is why many people’s organizations, including the New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and their representatives, including the Front’s Chief Political Consultant and peace negotiator in exile, Jose Maria Sison, are being labeled terrorists today. It is imperative that the people rise together to defend and protect human rights! Let us join in the refrain to de-list people’s mass organizations and their leaders from the terrorist lists! 

By failing to act in defense of human rights, Canada is part of the problem in many situations including Burma. In Haiti, Canada is actually organizing state repression against the democratic opposition and advocates for human rights and social justice. Let us unite to assert human rights! 

International voices are speaking up for genuine democracy and human rights. The World Council of Churches and the International Federation of Journalists along with many labour unions have made formal statements condemning the human rights abuses and impunity for their perpetrators. The International Association of Peoples' Lawyers and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers have also taken a stand. Join them in demanding justice for the victims and an end to repressive state measures against the people! 

Consent by silence is one of the reasons why the government of the Philippines, at the behest of the land-owning and bureaucratic classes, and the approval of the US White House, gets away with corruption, cheating, and murder as well as other attacks on civil liberties and human rights on a daily basis. We put human rights and humanitarian law first. We call on the people in Canada to demand that Canada withdraw support for the US-backed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government of the Philippines. To defend human rights internationally is to defend  human rights at home. An injury to one is an injury to all! 
 

bcchrp@kalayaancentre.net/www.kalayaancentre.net/ tel: 604-215-1103/ fax: 604215-1905

c/o 451 Powell St., Vancouver, BC V6A 1G7