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Unions Urge PM To Raise Human Rights With Arroyo
CTU MEDIA RELEASE 24 May 2007
Unions Urge PM To Raise Killings And Human Rights Breaches In Philippines
"The union movement is gravely concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines and are urging our Prime Minister to raise this with Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her New Zealand visit next week," CTU president Ross Wilson said today.
CTU's National Council was addressed today by Dennis Maga, spokesperson for the Free Ka Bel Movement in the Philippines, an alliance of organisations calling for the immediate release of trade union leader and Congressman Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran, who has been in detention since February 2006. Maga is in New Zealand to coincide with visit of the Philippines President next week.
"The Prime Minister raised human rights breaches in the Philippines with President Arroyo last year and a CTU resolution today called on Helen Clark to protest in the strongest possible terms during the visit of President Arroyo next week the killings of activists, for those responsible be bought to justice and for Ka Bel to be immediately released."
The CTU resolution is as follows:
CTU National Affiliates Council Resolution, Thursday May 24 2007.
After hearing a report from Denis Maga that:
o Trade Union Leader and Congressman Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran has been detained since Feb 2006 on charges dating back to the era of the Marcos dictatorship and of recent charges trumped up charges of sedition and rebellion. o Last month the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) investigated his detention and called for his immediate release.
o The IPU was assured by the Philippine Secretary of Justice and the National Security Advisor that the Government would no longer oppose Mr Beltrans release pending trial.
o Despite this assurance the government has taken no action and Ka Bel remains detained.
o Ka Bel is 74 years old and is suffering from ill health.
o Elections are currently being held in the Philippines and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appears intent on preventing, through any means possible the election of her political opponents.
o Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial and summary killings concluded in an investigation last month that "(t)he executive branch (of the Philippine government), openly and enthusiastically aided by the military, has worked resolutely....to impede the work of party-list groups and to put in question their right to operate freely"
And noting that;
o The ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder has warned "that the number of labour -related Killings in the Philippines places it in the same category as Columbia".
o Since 2001, under the Arroyo administration, there have been 858 victims of summary executions and 198 victims of disappearances.
o There have been 148 victims of election violence over the last two months. UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston's observations that "virtual impunity" prevails in the country with regard to the extrajudicial killings which are "convincingly attributed" to the military and his concern that the response to his report has been that the "the military and many key officials have buried their collective heads in the sand and announced that business will continue as usual".
o The current level of political killings in the Philippines, including the systematic murder of trade union leaders is of serious concern to all those who wish to defend basic trade union, human and democratic rights. It is greater now in terms of percentage than at any time under the Marcos dictatorship.
o Prime Minister Helen Clark raised her concerns during her visit to the Philippines in 2006 about the detention of Ka Bel and the human rights situation and pledged that New Zealand would "continue to encourage the Philippines, wherever opportunity arises, to work towards fully protecting the fundamental human rights of all its peoples and releasing individuals who appear to have been unjustifiably imprisoned."
o On May 28th President Arroyo will be officially hosted at a state lunch in Wellington
The National Affiliates Council:
o expresses its grave concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines, the killings of political activists and the continuing unconscionable detention of Trade Union Leader and Congressman Crispin "Ka Bel" Beltran.
o Calls on the Prime Minister and the NZ government to take the opportunity during the visit to New Zealand of President Arroya to protest, in the strongest possible terms, the killings of activists, for those responsible be bought to justice and for Ka Bel to be immediately released.
ENDS
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Te Kauae Kaimahi
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.
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