The International Association of Democratic
Lawyers (IADL) strongly condemns the extrajudicial killings of our 2
Filipina colleagues and an unprecedented number of journalists and civilians in
the Maguindanao massacre last 23 November 2009 by local warlords and
paramilitary groups.
Attorneys
Consuelo Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo, who were active members of our
Philippine affiliate, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), were murdered
while exercising their democratic rights as well as the duties of our legal profession
We
are appalled by this latest horrible attack on our colleagues and condemn the continuing
climate of impunity that has besieged the Filipino people by state agents or clans
closely associated with the government of President Gloria Arroyo.
The
IADL has been monitoring these attacks with grave concern, which now include 26
lawyers killed and 56 other lawyers who have been persecuted and intimidated by
arrests, threats, surveillance and labeling since 2001.
These
atrocious attacks are part of other human rights violations targeting farmers,
workers, partylist leaders, activists, community organizers, churchpeople, human
rights and peace workers, and other human rights defenders.
Since
2001, when Arroyo came to power, credible reports indicate that 1,118 persons have
been extrajudicially killed, 204 disappeared, 1,026 tortured, and 1,932
illegally arrested. Scores of others
fell victims to various forms of human rights violations by elements associated
with the government. We find these continuing attacks on human rights simply
totally unacceptable
These
killings and systematic human rights violations are engendered by the
counterinsurgency program of the Philippine government, as confirmed by
findings of UN special rapporteurs and international fact-finding missions. This
program led or encouraged the creation of pro-government paramilitary groups
that have been terrorizing local communities allegedly sympathetic to the
progressive movement.
The killings in Maguindanao are not only the result of
a local political conflict but also the direct consequence of the policy conducted
by the present administration in the Philippines of an all-out war against the
progressive and peoples movement. This policy has led to a virtual standstill
of the peace negotiations between the Arroyo government and the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
The US and the EU have supported these unjust policies
conducted by the Arroyo administration by criminalising and labelling legitimate
organisations and leaders of the progressive movement such as Prof. Jose Maria
Sison, NDFP chief political consultant, by including them in the so-called
“terrorist” listings. Moreover, the US has a direct military presence and
intervention through the Visiting Forces Agreement.
This support to the Arroyo administration provides
direct political, moral and even military basis for the total war against the
Philippine progressive movement. The IADL urges the United States and the European
Union to immediately end the support given to the Arroyo government.
The International Association of
Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
RESOLVES, through its Bureau in
present session:
(1) to continue to firmly support the
responses of our affiliate NUPL in regard to these killings and attacks;
(2) to call on all its member associations
all over the world to spread the truth on these issues;
(3) to send to the Philippines a mission of
international lawyers to represent IADL and register its protest and speak with
Philippine authorities and bar associations;
(4) to continuously monitor the situation,
contribute to the efforts to address impunity, and make all those responsible for
these atrocities and human rights violations accountable before various legal
forums.
29 November 2009, London, United
Kingdom
For
the IADL:
Jeanne Mirer (USA), President
Osamu Niikura (Japan),
Secretary General
Joan Roig Plans (Catalonia), Treasurer
Roland Weyl (France), First Vice President
Mohammed Bentoumi (Algeria)
Evelyn Durmeyer (Austria)
Jan Fermon (Belgium)
Yosif Geron (Bulgaria)
Augustin Kemadjou (Cameroon)
Vijender Jain (India)
Sabah Al-Mukhtar (Iraq)
Micol Savia
(Italy)
Fabio Marcelli (Italy)
Edre U.
Olalia (Philippines)
Vanessa Ramos (Puerto Rico)
Max Boqwana (South Africa)
Richard Harvey (United Kingdom)
Marjorie Cohn (USA)
Lennox Hinds (USA)
Beth
Lyons (USA)
Dao Tri Uc (Vietnam)
National SecretariatNational Union of Peoples' Lawyers(NUPL)
3F Erythrina Bldg., Maaralin corner Matatag Sts. Central District,Quezon City, PhilippinesTel.No.920-6660,Telefax No. 927- 2812
Email addresses:nupl2007@gmail.com and nuplphilippines@yahoo.com
"Visit the NUPL at http://www.nupl.net/
By
calling yourselves the 'people's lawyer,' you have made a remarkable
choice. You decided not to remain in the sidelines. Where human rights
are assaulted, you have chosen to sacrifice the comfort of the fence
for the dangers of the battlefield. But only those who choose to fight
on the battlefield live beyond irrelevance." Supreme Court Chief
Justice Reynato S. Puno, in his message to the NUPL Founding
Congress,Sept. 15, 2007
