29 May 2007

President Arroyo Confronted With Brutal Facts At Inter-Faith Dialogue

Delegates to the interfaith dialogue hosted by Prime Minister Helen Clark at Waitangi in New Zealand, were left in no doubt about the real issues of peace, security and tolerance that should be on their agenda, says the National Distribution Union.

Banners reading ‘Stop the Killings Gloria’ and ‘Stop the Killings in the Philippines’ highlighted the appalling record of human rights violations under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a co-host of the forum.

Several dozen white crosses were planted in the ground at the entry to the treaty grounds to symbolise the 858 extra judicial killings during the Arroyo regime.

Photographs of slain protestant Bishop Alberto Ramento and other victims showed the human face of this travesty.

Renowned New Zealand law professor Jane Kelsey said that crosses planted at the entry to the Copthorne Hotel made it impossible for Arroyo to miss the protest when she arrived to address the conference.

“Our noisy reception sent President Arroyo a clear message to stop the killings, for which the UN rapporteur holds her ultimately responsible,” she said. “Equally, Helen Clark was challenged for hosting someone with a proven record of gross human rights violations.

It’s no longer acceptable for our Prime Minister to claim that she has raised these issues with President Arroyo. Past assurances have been shown to be worthless. The time has come for the New Zealand Government to put its money where its mouth is. Instead of channeling ‘technical assistance’ funding to the Philippines government that is responsible for the violations, it should direct that money to the churches and other independent human rights advocacy organizations.”

A local Maori leader, Arthur Harawira, who welcomed and led the protest on his ancestral grounds, and who visited the Philippines during Marcos time.

“I challenge the hypocrisy of the New Zealand government for holding this event on the sacred grounds of Waitangi in an attempt to give legitimacy to an illegitimate occasion.

Mr Harawira drew links between the struggles of Maori with the struggles of the indigenous peoples and workers in the Philippines.

Spokesperson of the “Free Ka Bel” movement, Dennis Maga, urged inter-faith participants not to sit at the table with governments, like that of President Arroyo, who are responsible for gross human rights violations in their own countries.

“Yesterday, another UCCP pastor Berlin Guerrero has been abducted and found tortured by the Philippine National Police and charged with inciting to sedition dating back to 1991 and 1992,” he said. “This reality flies in the face of President Arroyo’s assurances repeated at the press conference yesterday that her Government was fighting to improve its record in the killings.”

ENDS

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