Unions condemn Philippine’s election killings before President arrives in NZ next week

A visiting Filipino unionist has begun a speaking tour to condemn the political repression and killings at last week’s elections in the Philippines, one week before the Philippines President is a guest of the New Zealand government. Dennis Maga will start his speaking tonight about the political killings at the Auckland Trades Hall tonight at 7.30, 147 Great North Rd. Phillipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be here to co-host an “interfaith dialogue” at Waitangi next Tuesday the 29th of May with Helen Clark. National Distribution Union National Secretary Laila Harré calls the Philippines National Police description of last week’s polls as “relatively peaceful” an outrage. “Hundreds of government-sanctioned killings in the ‘Columbia of the South Pacific’ have been ignored,” says Mr Harré. “Iraq is the only country more dangerous for journalists.” “Four poll-watchers were killed last week, bringing the total number of killings during this election to 126,” she says. “A left-wing political party leader was also abducted, another attempted abduction failed and another poll observer also went missing just in the last week.” Ms Harré points to Philippines media reports that five policemen are in custody under investigation for one of those attacks where two poll watchers were burnt to death while counting votes. The military are blamed by locals for the other deaths. Mr Maga is the President of the “Free Ka Bel” movement to free Ka Bel Beltran, an ailing 74 year old congressman and chair of a large trade union federation. Beltran’s detention for 16 months in a hospital has been labelled unlawful by the Inter-Parliamentary Union. “Ka Bel is just one of many victims of increased political repression in the Philippines under President Arroyo’s administration,” he says. “Besides intimidating political opponents, 858 extra-judicial killings have been documented since her rise to power. Over 130 of the deaths are from just one party, representing the urban poor.” “We are grateful that Helen Clark has previously raised the concerns about the killings and Ka Bel’s imprisonment with Arroyo. But we are very concerned that your Prime Minister is hosting the President when our elections are being slammed by our media, independent watchdogs and international observers as rife with fraud, intimidation, killing and coercion of voters,” says Mr Maga. Maga points to the recent findings by United Nations Special Rapporteur Professor Philip Alston that extrajudicial killings that are occurring with “virtual impunity” can be “convincingly attributed” to the military and government. In a tragic irony, the Philippines was elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council last Friday, he says. ENDS · UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston press statement, 21 February 2007, http://pcij.org/blog/wp-docs/alston_press_statement.pdf CONTACTS: Dennis Maga will available for contact and interview on 021 212 1289 National Distribution Union National Secretary Laila Harré is available on 021 839 661 For more information contact Simon Oosterman, National Distribution Union Publicity Officer on 021 922 551 or media@ndu.org.nz DATES: Auckland Public Meeting: Tonight, 7:30, Auckland Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd Meeting with MP’s: Tuesday 22nd May at Parliament with Maryan Street Labour MP, Wellington Meeting with NGO’s: Wednesday 23rd May, 12pm NGOs, location to announced, Wellington Wellington Public Meeting: Wednesday 23rd May, 7pm, 2nd Floor, Anzac House 181 Willis St, Wellington Meeting with Unions: Thursday 24th May, 11am, Education House, Wellington Christchurch Public Meeting: 7.30pm, Trade Union Centre, 1st Floor, 199 Armagh St, Christchurch Whangarei Public Meeting: 7pm, St John’s Church Centre, 149 Kamo Rd, Whangarei Protest: Monday 28th,12:15pm-1.00pm protest to co-incide with state lunch at Parliament in President’s honour Protest: Monday 28th, Afternoon protest outside of Copthorne Hotel at Waitangi, further details announced closer to date Pahia Public Meeting: Monday 28th, Participants of Interfaith conference invited to public meeting at Bounty Inn, Cnr Bayview and Selwyn Rds, Paihia Protest: Tuesday 29th, 8.00am at Waitangi at “Interfaith dialogue”