Towards a Just and Lasting Peace:
Stop Political Killings in the Philippines!
A public forum and discussion
Friday, August 25th, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Trinity-St. Paul's United Church
427 Bloor St. West / Bloor and Spadina Sts.)
Guests
- Emmanuel Sayo, co-founder of the B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines and a delegate to the 2005 International Solidarity Mission to the Philippines
- Cecilia Diocson, chairperson of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada and co-founder of the B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
They will give an overview of the current political killings and intensifying human rights violations in the country and the continuing resistance of the Filipino people to these. They will talk about the response of overseas Filipinos in Canada to the worsening economic and political crises and state violence in the country,
The ongoing all-out war against the Filipino people is being waged by the current regime of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Politicall killings and attempted killings, forced disappearances, unjust arrests, tortures, summary executions , and gross human rights violations of political activists, trade unionists, church workers, peasants, workers, women and youth continue to intensify under her counter-insurgency campaign dubbed Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch). The intensity and frequence of these brutal killings in the Philippines has now made it the second most dangerous country for trade unionists after Colombia and, according to the International Federation of Journalists, the second most dangerous place for journalists next to Iraq.
According to KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights), the largest alliance of human rights organizations and advocates in the Philippines, the regime of the current Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now responsible for 718 political killings and more than 200 attempted killings since 2001 - a number that surpasses the human rights violations commited by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The regime is indeed on a killing rampage as it attempts to quell the growing people's movement against its dictatorial rule and against the control and dictates of US imperialism and its allies.
Participants and guests are encouraged to share their views and ideas on how the Filipino community in Canada can further lend support and solicarity to the people's struggle for peace in the Philippines. Speakers will also share the results and calls that came out from the recently-concluded conference "Prospects for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy in the Philippines: Canadians Respond to the Call of the Filipino People for Solidarity and Support" held June 21, 2006 in Vancouver.
For more information, contact:Philippine Network for Justice and Peace – Ricky Esguerra @ 416-418-1577
Philippine Women Centre of Ontario – Joy C. Sioson @ 416-878-8772
SIKLAB Ontario – Marco Luciano @ 647-205-5908
UKPC/FCYA-Toronto – Mithi Esguerra @ 647-273-6553
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