IBON founder to speak on R.P. human rights

IBON founder to speak on R.P. human rights

TORONTO–Antonio Tujan Jr. – researcher, social activist, and educator – will be in Toronto June 2nd to speak on the state of human rights and prospects for peace in the Philippines.

Tujan was one of the founders of IBON Foundation Inc. in 1978 and is now its Research Director and Executive Editor. He is consultant to a number of non-government organizations (NGOs), among them in Canada, the Ottawa-based Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC). CCIC is the umbrella organization for Canadian NGOs and people’s organizations. He has also done work with the Montreal-based International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy), a non-partisan organization with an international mandate that currently focuses on four themes: democratic development, women’s human rights, globalization and human rights.

Wave of repression

A wave of repression against legitimate people’s organizations, progressive political parties and other human rights and cause-oriented groups in the Philippines is on the rise. In less than three months, 32 leaders, members and supporters of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Karapatan and other groups were brutally killed. There are no indications that this reign of terror perpetrated by elements of the Philippine military and police on individuals and groups known to be critical of the Arroyo government will stop soon. No sector is spared – from human rights workers, poor peasants and indigenous peoples, to farm and industrial workers, churchpeople, lawyers and journalists, youth and student activists, and members of progressive political parties.

Just recently, Senator Manny Villar, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order, filed Senate Resolution 267 directing his committee to conduct an investigation into the findings of Netherlands-based International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) that labeled the Philippines as the most dangerous place for lawyers and judges. According to IAPL, this year alone, three lawyers and law student were killed in the country namely Felidito Dacut, Teresita Vidamo, Ambrosio Matias and Leonard Matias. Last year, four lawyers and three judges were also murdered.

Solidarity campaign in Canada

Here in Toronto, the Philippine Press Club of Ontario (PPCO) issued its own statement of concern on the killing of journalists back home. The PPCO said “There is a pattern that the victims were those who had exposed corruption in government and had spoken against the human rights violations by the police and the military.” The Canadian churches have likewise issued their individual statements of solidarity and support.

Scores of organizations (community organizations, social service agencies, trades unions, NGOs and solidarity groups)* have signed on to a Statement of Concern to be presented to Canadian members of parliament and other government officials. These organizations are one in their calls: Stop the killings and harassment! Punish all military, police and other state agents implicated in the murder and enforced disappearance of activists! Bring the perpetrators to justice! Scrap all policies and measures that curtail civil liberties and human rights!

Tujan is in Canada to attend the Global Democracy 2005 conference (G05) in Montreal from May 29 to June 1 at the McGill University where “civil society practitioners in dialogue with participants from different backgrounds will come together and put forward visions of global democracy,” and strategies needed to implement these. According to the organizers, these “visions and strategies will help create more democratic governance in the world.”

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO A FORUM SPONSORED BY THE PHILIPPINE SOLIDARITY GROUP AND THE PHILIPPINE NETWORK FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE AT 6:30 PM AT THE RAINBOW ROOM OF THE TRINITY ST. PAUL’S UNITED CHURCH ON 427 BLOOR ST. WEST, STEPS WEST OF SPADINA AVE.

*Signatories to the Statement of Concern as of May 25, 2005: The Ontario Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (OCHRP); Alliance Employees Union; Asian Canadian Labour Alliance; Asian Solidarity Network-Toronto; Black Youth United of Toronto; Canadian Friends of the Soviet People; Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW); Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-National); Carleton University Filipino Students Association (CUFSA); Centre for Philippine Concerns (Montreal); Community Alliance for Social Justice (CASJ); CUPE 4600 Teaching and Research Assistants Carleton University; Filipino Canadian Youth Network-Toronto (UKPC-Toronto); Filipino Workers’ Support Committee; Grassroots Anti-Imperialist Network (GRAIN); InterPares; Iriguenos in Canada (Some 300 Filipinos in Canada from Iriga City, Camarines Sur in the Bikol region); National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE); NOWAR-PAIX – Ottawa; Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG)-Carleton University; Philippine Migrants Society of Canada (PMSC); Philippine Network for Justice and Peace (PNJP-Toronto); Philippines Ottawa Solidarity and Support Effort (POSSE); Philippine Solidarity Group-Toronto; Philippine Women Centre-Ontario (PWC-ON); Sumuod Political Prisoners Solidarity Group; Young Left.