arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

“Since the start of this year, at least 32 political activists have been gunned down, including peasant leaders, trade union activists, a municipal councilor, priests, journalists and human rights lawyers,” Els Van der Sypt of the Filippijnengroepen België (FGB), a solidarity organization, said. All of them were members of progressive people's organizations and political parties.

The human rights activist also wondered if political assassinations have become state policy. “The victims' organizations are mentioned in a recent presentation that is being used to train military units and is titled 'know your enemy',” she explained.

Also the media are in the line of fire. Last year, at least 13 Philippine journalists were brutally killed and this year the count is at six. That makes the country the number one in the sad list of the world's most murderous countries for journalists.

“It is crystal-clear that the Philippine government is not doing enough,” said Robert Shaw, the human rights officer of the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). “Not one of the 65 recent killings of journalists was seriously investigated.”

Atty. Ivo Flachet of the International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) challenged the Philippine government. “Respect for human rights is not supposed to be a distant dream,” he said. “Human rights should be guaranteed by the government here and now.”

The activists carried placards with the names of some recent victims and paid their respect with white flowers. Before they ended their action, they told the embassy personnel they were determined to come back if the Philippine government is not able to stop the killings.

Filippijnengroepen België - fgb@intal.be