[APWSLMembers 202] World outrage at Cong. Beltran's arrest grows Ka Bel moved to tears at show of international solidarity vs political repression

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

fyi. sorry for cross-posting


 From the Office of Anakpawis Representative Crispin B. Beltran
Lisa C. Ito, Public Information Officer (+63)927.796.7006
Tel. # (+632) 426-9442 Email: 
<http://us.f515.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=crispinbeltran@gmail.com>crispinbeltran at gmail.com 

  URL: http:// www.geocities.com/ap_news


NEWS RELEASE
March 2, 2006

"If helping the poor is a crime,
and fighting for freedom is rebellion,
then I plead guilty as charged."
--Crispin Beltran, August 1982 Supreme Court hearing



World outrage at Cong. Beltran's arrest grows
Ka Bel moved to tears at show of international solidarity vs 
political repression



The illegal arrest and detention of Anakpawis solon Rep. Crispin "Ka 
Bel" Beltran is beginning to draw outrage from the international 
community, as the steady influx of support statements to Anakpawis, 
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)'s 
emails shows.

Prior to his confinement at the Philippine National Police (PNP) 
General Hospital yesterday for hypertension,
individuals and organizations from at least 17 countries have written 
letters of protest addressed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 
condemning the illegal and unconstitutional arrest of Cong. Crispin 
Beltran after the announcement of Presidential Proclamation 1017.

Letters (sent through email), photographs, and support statements 
from Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, 
Korea, Australia, India, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, Belgium, 
Norway, Italy, Greece and Hong Kong have been steadily filling the 
inbox of Cong. Beltran's emails. The letter writers range from 
international human rights organizations, Filipino immigrants, 
foreign trade unions and confederations, Malaysian students and 
Nepalese peasants.

Many also condemned the arrest of Gloria Step Down Movement (GSM) 
Spokesperson Dennis Maga and KMU member Marcial Badela Monday by the 
police, while attempting to visit Beltran at Camp Crame, and the 
attempts to arrest five other progressive partylist representatives 
Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis, Satur Ocampo, Joel Virador, and Teddy 
Casino of Bayan Muna, and Liza Maza of Gabriela.

Many of them castigated Pres. Arroyo for her administration's 
violation of human rights.

"The British Columbia Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines 
(BCCHRP) has publically and widely denounced the illegal and 
anti-democratic and inhumane declaration of Emergency Rule in the 
Philippines. Having investigated the human rights situation in the 
Philippines on an ongoing basis, we are aware that your record of 
human rights violations is the worst in Philippines history and one 
of the worst in the world. We are working to draw attention to this 
irrefutable fact," wrote BCCHRP chairperson Barbara Waldern.

Canadian-based Anti-GATT-WTO activist Aziz Choudry slammed Beltran's 
illegal detention as a sign of de facto Martial Law. "I note that the 
charge which has been used as a pretext to arrest and detain 
Congressman Beltran dates back some twenty years to the martial law 
era, and am greatly concerned that the politically repressive actions 
of your government are more in keeping with the Marcos era than those 
of a supposedly parliamentary democracy," Choudry wrote.

Solicitor Luningning Alcuitas-Imperial of Lawyers Rights Watch 
Canada, a Vancouver-based NGO in special consultative status with the 
Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, wrote to Pres. 
Arroyo on March 1.

"We remind you that the Philippine Government is a signatory to the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that it is also a party to 
all the major Human Rights instruments.   In particular, we remind 
you that your government is a signatory to the International 
Convention on Civil and Political Rights, which has an established 
mechanism to monitor its implementation.   Your government is bound 
to observe all provisions of the said instruments," Imperial wrote.

Many concerned citizens are also writing to their respective 
governments to condemn the Arroyo administation's human rights violations.

University of Auckland Law Faculty Prof. Jane Kelsey: wrote to New 
Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, saying "As Prime Minister you are 
in a unique position to repeat the stand you took in the 1980s. I 
urge you to convey, publicly, to President Arroyo's representative 
the New Zealand government's condemnation of the state of emergency 
and the Philippine government's breach of its international human 
rights obligations. I also urge you to demand the immediate release 
of those who have been detained and endorse calls from the 
Philippines for an independent fact-finding and investigation team 
composed of representatives from human rights groups, the Church, 
local government, and the Commission on Human Rights to inquire into 
the illegal arrest and detention of Congressman Crisipin Beltran."

Cong. Beltran was moved to tears after reading the first batch of 
letters in his cell last Monday, wife Rosario Beltran says.

Copies of the letters and support statements may be procured from the 
Office of Rep. Beltran.

More support statements and letters may be sent to 
<mailto:crispinbeltran at gmail.com>crispinbeltran at gmail.com. ###