Auckland Philippines Solidarity

APS May update: Peace talks suspended and disappearances continue

May 18, 2013 Leave a comment

Alex Padilla, the government of the Philippines peace panel chair, has unilaterally declared a suspension to peace talks with National Democratic Front of the Philippines via a statement to the Philippine media. The Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA) released a statement calling for a resumption of peace talks which was picked up in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Murray Horton of PSNA wrote:

President Aquino has three more years to disprove the growing criticisms about his administration’s human rights record and its sincerity in the peace process. If he fails to deliver on his promises to bring about better lives for the poor,

A number of people’s organisations in the Philippines, including human rights group Karapatan, have argued the suspension of peace talks will see an increase in human rights abuses not just against members of the underground New People’s Army but also the legal above ground left.

Unfortunately Karapatan’s predictions may have been proved right when Estelita “Nanay Neneng” T. Tacalan, a 60-year old peasant rights advocate, went missing. She was later surfaced to a prison. Auckland Philippines Solidarity released a statement calling for her to be released and an end of enforced disappearances of political activists:

“We have just heard that Estelita “Nanay Neneng” T. Tacalan, a 60-year old peasant rights advocate, went missing for 10 days. Though she was eventually surfaced by the military, it is deplorable that she now faces trumped-up charges – the same fate suffered by over 300 political prisoners in the Philippines. With the termination of GPH-NDFP peace talks, we fear the Aquino government will further ignore the calls to stop the abductions, killings and filing of trumped-up criminal charges against political activists,” Cameron Walker, spokesperson of Auckland Philippines Solidarity (APS).

Filed under Uncategorized Tagged with peace talks

Support for Typhoon Pablo (Bopha) victims

December 26, 2012 Leave a comment

On December 4th Typhoon Pablo (international name Bopha) hit the Philippines and brought havoc to Mindanao and the Visayas. The official death toll is 1062 with 800 people still missing. Crops, homes and lives were destroyed. Auckland Philippines Solidarity member, Cameron Walker was in Compostela Valley, one of the worst effected regions, when the typhoon hit. He was interviewed by Radio New Zealand and Minda News in the Philippines about his experiences.

Migrante Aotearoa NZ, the organisation of Filipino migrants, have started an appeal to support the victims of Typhoon Pablo. They raised $460 at their Christmas party. The funds will go to BALSA Mindanao, the People’s Mobilisation for Disaster Relief and Climate Justice – an organisation that has been at the forefront of relief operations. If you can even spare a few dollars it would be much appreciated.

Donations can be sent to Migrante Aotearoa’s ASB account. Account name: Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand Incorporated; Account Number: 12-3136-0276480-00. Please email secretariat@migrante-aotearoa.org.nz to notify re donation.

Photos Cameron Walker.

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Filipino President told: We don’t like NZ dairy going to a country where activists and journalists are killed

October 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Filipino President told: We don’t like NZ dairy going to a country
where activists and journalists are killed

Philippine solidarity groups in New Zealand are concerned that over
1000 activists and journalists have been killed from former president
Arroyo and the number is still rising under the current Aquino
presidency. Gathered at the farm of milk-producing cows, members of
the Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA) conveyed a
message to Filipino President Benigno Simeon Aquino III: “We don’t
like our milk going to a country where activists are tortured and
killed.”

“When the previous President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, came to New
Zealand in 2007, Helen Clark raised the human rights issue with her.
We challenge John Key to do the same with President Aquino.
Considering that the Philippines is one of New Zealand’s trade and
economic partners, we believe that the attainment of political
stability and resolution of the human rights crisis in the Philippines
should also concern the New Zealand government,” Murray Horton,
Secretary of Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA) stated.

In a joint letter, Helen Kelly, President of NZ Council of Trade
Unions together with leaders of church-based groups Pax Christi,
Christian World Service, United Methodist Church and Asian Council
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand joined calls for President
Aquino to address continuing human rights abuses in light of reported
113 victims of extra-judicial killings under Aquino’s watch.

Helen Te Hira of Auckland Philippines Solidarity (APS) further noted,
“We’re greatly disturbed that such killings continue under Aquino’s
watch, especially as the victims are our indigenous brothers and
sisters defending their Papatuanuku (the land) and resisting mining
plunder in their communities. Te Hira, a Maori (indigenous of NZ)
activist, says: “In the Māori world view, land gives birth to all
things, including humankind, and provides the physical and spiritual
basis for life.”

The latest victims were members of the B’laan tribe, Juvy Capion and
her two sons who were massacred by the Philippine army. Juvy was a
member of Kalgad, an organization of the B’laan tribe that is opposed
to the entry of Xstrata-Sagittarius Mines, Inc (SMI) as there are
about 30,000 Blaan who will be displaced from their ancestral lands
with the entry and operation of Australia’s Xstrata-SMI.

Reference:
Murray Horton, Secretary of Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA)
Box 2450 Christchurch, New Zealand, cafca@chch.planet.org.nz

Photo credits: Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa (PSNA) and
Auckland Philippines Solidarity

Filed under Human rights

Green Party: John Key must raise human rights abuses with President of Philippines

October 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Green Member of Parliament Jan Logie

23 October 2012

John Key must raise human rights abuses with President of Philippines

Prime Minister John Key must ensure that human rights are firmly part of the agenda for discussion with the President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, the Green Party said today.

“When the Prime Minister meets with President Aquino today, he must make sure that he challenges him to improve human rights for all of his citizens,” said Green Party spokesperson for human rights Jan Logie.

“The Philippine Government must stop sanctioning the extra-judicial killings that have become routine. Over 100 killings have taken place since President Aquino came to power in 2010.

“Thirteen environmentalists have been murdered under President Aquino’s watch for opposing destructive mining activity. These include indigenous Filipinos trying to save their ancestral homelands.

“We need to ensure that, as trade and other links open up between New Zealand and the Philippines, that New Zealand companies do not become complicit in the human rights abuses that are commonplace in the Philippines.

“During a 2007 visit to New Zealand by then-President Arroyo, pressure from Helen Clark’s Government helped to ensure that Pastor Berlin Guerrero was freed from unjust military detention. We need to put pressure on again to put an end to the more than 100 extra-judicial killings that have taken place since President Aquino came to power in 2010.”

Filed under Extrajudical killings, Human rights, Latest news

Migrante Wins NZ Human Rights Commission Award

August 24, 2012 Leave a comment

Press Release – Migrante Aotearoa

Migrante Aotearoa Receives NZ Diversity Award
Proud to be Pinoy: Filipinos Making a Difference in New Zealand

MIGRANTE AOTEAROA is honoured to receive the New Zealand Diversity Award presented by the New Zealand Human Rights Commission on 20th August at the Aotea Centre in Auckland.

Migrante was selected by the HRC as one of 12 recipients of the annual diversity awards for 2012. According to Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres, the award is in recognition of Migrante’s outstanding contribution to the New Zealand Diversity Action Programme through its diversity projects and programmes.

Migrante is proud to be a partner of the HRC in working for the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of migrants in NZ. Founded in December 2009, Migrante Aotearoa is an organisation of Filipino migrant workers, immigrants and their families in New Zealand. Migrante works with unions, community groups and institutions like the HRC for the promotion and protection of migrants’ rights and welfare. It also links up with other migrants and immigrants of various nationalities.

On 19th August Migrante hosted the forum “IN SEARCH OF DECENT WORK: A fair deal for migrants in global economy” as part of 2012 New Zealand Diversity Action Programme.

Dennis Maga, Migrante Aotearoa National Coordinator says, “Our participation in the 2012 New Zealand Diversity Action Programme is especially significant as it became a timely occasion for First Union’s public launching of UNEMIG: Union Network of Migrants.”

Maga explains, “Often migrant workers are victims of under legal minimum wage pay, abuse, discrimination, bullying and harassment in the workplace. UNEMIG is here to support vulnerable migrants.”

“Migrante looks forward to stronger partnerships with the HRC, UNEMIG, trade unions, community groups, faith communities and all concerned sectors in working to attain a fair deal for migrants and all working people in NZ,” Maga concluded.

Filed under Uncategorized

Secretary General of ex-political prisoners group writes to APS and other NZ/Australian groups

July 26, 2012 Leave a comment

Auckland Philippines Solidarity and the other New Zealand and Australian groups who co-wrote a recent open letter on human rights to Philippines President Aquino, received the following email from Angie Ipong, the Secretary General of SELDA. SELDA is an organisation set up 1984 by ex detainees of the Marcos dictatorship. It works to support political prisoners in the Philippines.

Dear Friends from Australia and New Zealand,

Thank you so much for taking time to write an Open Letter to our
President. We hope this will move him to act on our PPs demands. It is
a great inspiration for pps to know
they are not alone in the struggle for justice and freedom. We will
move on no matter how long it takes and what it costs. With your
support, we shall not be moved!
Again in the name of all the political prisoners we thank you!

Angie Ipong
Secretary General
SELDA

Filed under Uncategorized

NZ and Australian groups say “more killings” won’t make it “more fun in the Philippines”

July 22, 2012 Leave a comment

22 July 2012
Press Release

Pacific groups tell Aquino: MORE KILLINGS
won’t make it “MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES”

Following the statements of the New York-base Human Rights Watch and
Amnesty International scoring government failure to stop human rights
abuses, justice and peace advocates in the Pacific renewed appeals for
Ph Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III: Stop the killings, grant
presidential amnesty to all political prisoners and resume peace talks
with the NDFP and MILF.

In an open letter to Aquino, they appealed: ” We hope that the
recorded human rights in the last two years would not go on and on as
in the previous administration… You have to end this culture of
impunity.” The letter signatories include Helen Kelly, President of
the largest trade union federation in New Zealand, John H Roberts,
President, Methodist Church of New Zealand, Peter Brock, Chairperson,
Australian Action for Peace and Development in the Philippines (APDP)
and Pastor Berlin Guerrero from the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines (UCCP) who is now based in Australia.

“As one of the victims of enforced disappearance, torture and illegal
detention during Arroyo’s watch, I join the urgent appeals for Pres.
Aquino to bring to justice the perpetrators of human rights abuses
under the 6-year Arroyo presidency and under Aquino’s own watch,”
Pastor Guerrero stated.

Murray Horton, Secretary of Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa
(PSNA) says, “More killings won’t make it ‘more fun in the
Philippines’ as the government’s tourism slogan aims to project. In
the eyes of the international community, the sorry state of
Philippines’ human rights reflects the sorry state of the nation. With
a record of 99 extra-judicial killings and over 100 new political
prisoners in 2 years, and with the worst human rights offenders like
Jovito Palparan still on the loose, it’s hard to believe that Mr.
Aquino is taking the ‘righteous path’ as he promised two years ago.”

Reference:
New Zealand – Murray Horton

Secretary, PSNA – cafca@chch.planet.org.nz

Australia – Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Co-Convenor, Philippine Caucus for Peace – Berlin.Guerrero@victas.uca.org.au

*UCCP Pastor Berlin Guerrero was abducted and tortured by state
security forces in May 2007, he was eventually detained on trumped-up
charges. Finally he was released on 10th September 2008. Thanks to
sustained local and international solidarity actions for his freedom,
Pastor Berlin is one of the lucky few who was surfaced from enforced
disappearance and lived to tell his ordeal in the hands of Philippine
military. He and his family continued to be subjected to military
surveillance and threats even after his release.

Filed under Uncategorized

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