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PSNA Philippine Solidarity Network of Aotearoa |
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PSNA Philippine Solidarity Network of Aotearoa |
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Dennis Maga Speaking Tour...... May 2007 Newslinks, etc
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 Monday, 28 May 2007 Greens attack Arroyo over summit It is hypocritical for Philippines president Gloria Arroyo to attend a landmark peace initiative at Waitangi when a wave of political execution-style killings go unpunished in her country, Green MP Keith Locke says. Arroyo flies into New Zealand today on a three-day state trip, part of which will be taken up by the Regional Interfaith Dialogue at Waitangi. The meeting is a summit of religious leaders aimed at moderating extremism and promoting peace in the Asia-Pacific region. But Locke said Arroyo's Government – which faces a Muslim insurgency in the country's south and a communist insurgency in other parts – had done little to promote peace. Since 2001 there had been an estimated 800 extra-judicial killings of leftists and journalists. Few people had been brought to account for the murders. "The longer this impunity goes on, the longer these killings will continue," Locke said. The Philippines Government has denied involvement in the killings but several human rights groups have blamed the country's military and security forces. A scathing report by United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston said the Philippines military was "in denial" over the involvement of some soldiers in the killings. Locke said yesterday that action was needed. "There is a certain level of hypocrisy, saying on the one hand that people of different religions should talk together and respect each other, and yet in her own country she does not seem to respect the ideological approach of some of the Left-wing parties who have been heavily persecuted and their members killed." Opposition lawmakers had also been sporadically detained. The leader of one leftist party, Crispin Beltran, had been imprisoned for more than a year and was still awaiting trial. Locke said the coup-plotting charges Beltran faced appeared spurious and there had been little attempt to actually try him. He urged Prime Minister Helen Clark to once again raise the issue of human rights in talks with Arroyo today. Clark has twice raised the issue in the past 18 months. In January she offered Arroyo New Zealand 's help to build up human rights institutions within the country. At the time Arroyo gave her assurances that proper legal and judicial processes were being followed in regard to Beltran. Clark was also assured that a special commission set up to investigate the spree of killings would get to the bottom of the matter. But Locke said since then little seemed to have been made on either matter. Union leaders invited to today's state luncheon are expected to boycott the event in protest. Philippines unionist Dennis Maga – brought out by the National Distribution Union – has been conducting a speaking tour of New Zealand to condemn the killings and political repression. Clark and Arroyo are expected to sign off a technical assistance package today that is likely to include help in the area of police. –NZPA |
