Filipino Peace Advocates to visit Parihaka

Filipino human rights activists Luis Jalandoni and Coni Ledesma will be visiting Parihaka on their speaking tour through New Zealand. They are international representatives of the National Democratic Front (NDF) of the Philippines.

“Coni and I are very excited to visit Parihaka again. The memory of my visit there in 1987 remains etched in my mind” says Luis Jalandoni. “It is just really great to go back to Parihaka and again draw inspiration from the heroic Maori people and their just struggle. The Filipino people can learn much from their many creative forms of resistance against oppression.”

In New Zealand, little is known about the four-decade long war and peace process in the Philippines. Luis and Coni will be able to share first-hand knowledge about the peace negotiations they are involved with. Luis Jalandoni has been the Chairperson of the NDF's Negotiating panel for peace talks with the Government of the Philippines.

The NDF is the coalition of several underground groups, including the Communist Party of the Philippines and its New People's Army, which has been waging a war of liberation throughout the Philippines for more than 40 years, making it one of the longest running armed struggles in the world.

When Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, both Luis and Coni went underground. They were both arrested and spent time in jail as political prisoners. They have lived in The Netherlands since 1976. They were the first Filipinos to apply for and receive political asylum there. They hold Dutch passports and travel extensively as NDF representatives.

A public talk will take place at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth on 3 November at 6.00pm.

The full national itinerary is at http://www.converge.org.nz/psna/Bulletin%20Board/Jalandoni%20Tour%20Itinerary.htm

ENDS

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