Monday, May 08, 2006

Philippines: Urgent Solidarity Action

Appeal for Justice for Peasant Organisers and Civilians Abducted and Falsely Accused

Dear friends,

We would like appeal to you, to your friends, networks and fellow advocates of human rights for your support to seek justice for the peasant organizers and their companions abducted, believed to be tortured, and are being falsely accused of rebellion by the Philippine military.

The five victims of human rights violations are:

* Riel Custodio,
peasant organiser of the organization "Kalipunan ng mga Magsasaka sa Kabite (Kamagsasaka-Ka or Farmers' Federation in Cavite)" in Cavite province, Philippines
* Axel Alejandro Pinpin, peasant organiser and works at the same organisation as victim No.1
* Enrico Ybanez, civilian, resident of Barangay Tolentino, Tagaytay City, south of Manila
* Michael Mesias, civilian, resident of Barangay Tolentino
* Aristides Sarmiento, civilian

Alex Alejandro Pinpin is an artist and the brother of Ms. Cyrine Pinpin, coordinator of Migrante Sectoral Party in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and at the same time, APMM coordinator in the said area. The parents of Pinpin are also migrant workers in Dubai.

To date, families of the victims are still not allowed to see them are not being informed in which military camp are the arrested being held.

We attach herewith a previous urgent appeal by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to inform you of the events of the abduction, the succeeding efforts of families and human rights advocates to locate them, and the denial of the military that they have the victims in
custody.

The victims were only seen on a press conference by the military after more than 48 hours in their custody without any case filed against them.

We encourage you to take immediate actions on this matter.

We fervently hope that the spate of killings, forced disappearances and other human rights violations in the Philippines will soon stop and the perpetrators be brought to justice.

In solidarity,
Ramon Bultron
Managing Director

Technorati Tags: , , , ,

posted by they lied @ 9:19 AM Comments: 0