In Brussels: 1,000 Protesters, Parliamentarians Denounce Arroyo Political Killings

12/18/2006 09:05:00 PM

On December 11, at the occasion of the International Day of Human Rights, a coalition of 65 unions and social organizations, held a torch vigil in front of the Philippine embassy in Brussels. To vigil was organized to remember all the victims of the political killings during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, starting in 2001. Read more from bulatlat.com.

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    Democracy, according to the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, is "a question of human dignity, [a]nd human dignity is political freedom, the right to freely express opinion and the right to be allowed to criticise and form opinions."

    But exercising political freedom in the Philippines, which purports itself to be a democracy, can lead to death. Since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency of the country in 2001, more than 800 Filipinos murdered in politically-motivated, extra-judicial, targeted killings. Since the 4th quarter of July 2005, one person has been killed every two days. The victims of these brazen acts of violence were all unarmed citizens: lawyers, judges, journalists, medical practitioners, members of cause-oriented groups, priests, church-workers, human rights advocates, laborers and farmers.

    It is widely believed—and the United Nations support this belief—that state security forces are complicit in these crimes.