[APWSLMembers 257] Militants killed after refusing to leave Left

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

<http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=news&id=2842&sid=1&urldate=2006-05-25>http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?page=news&id=2842&sid=1&urldate=2006-05-25

Militants killed after refusing to leave Left

BEFORE they were killed, militant leaders in the countryside had 
received "invitations" from the local military to leave organizations 
associated with the political left.

This was one of the findings of the International Labor Solidarity 
Movement (ILSM), which interviewed families of the victims. However, 
it did not give details.

"Families of victims attest that before the victims were killed, they 
received threats and 'invitations' from the military to withdraw 
their involvement in the progressive unions/organizations affiliated 
to Kilusang Mayo Uno, Ba-yan Muna, and Anakpawis.
They also suffered heavy surveillances right in their homes," it said.

It said this gives added basis to the theory that the victims' active 
role and leadership and their being vocal critics of the Arroyo 
government were the primary motive for the killings.

Also, it said the killing of victims near their houses or right at 
their doorsteps created a climate of fear in the countryside.

"Yet the government made no effort to secure the people in the 
communities. Local government units seem helpless in resolving the 
cases saying that the military deployment is a national 
program.  Likewise, the PNP's so-called investigations did not 
provide prompt and clear results," it said.

The ILSM concluded that the pattern of killings, the surveillances 
and threats show the direct and indirect involvement of the Armed 
Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police.

Hector Lawas
People's Journal
Peoples Journal
5/25/2006 20:04 PM



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education & Research, Inc.
                               90-C Scout Delgado Street,
                               Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City
                               1103  Philippines
                               Telefax:  +632 4115229
                               Email: 
<mailto:eiler at eilerinc.org>eiler at eilerinc.org
                               www.eilerinc.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



STOP THE KILLINGS! DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES!