Group slams deportation of US labor rights lawyer

The Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN), an international organization of researchers and grassroot leaders, has denounced the deportation of one of its participants to a gathering in Cebu from the Washington DC-based International Labor Rights Fund.

APRN secretary general Theresa Lauron said labor rights lawyer Brian Campbell was supposed to attend a conference on jobs and justice that they have organized today at the Saint Theresa's College Audio Visual Room.

The event is an alternative conference to the 4th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business and Investment Summit.

"We are deeply disappointed that the Philippine government, while supposedly promoting the vision of a caring and sharing community in the ASEAN, would deny a foreign delegate entry to our country just because he is deemed to have views that are different from the agenda in the ASEAN Summit," Lauron said.

Campbell was denied entry by immigration officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last night and was advised to immediately take the flight back to the United States.

In an e-mail message he sent to the conference participants yesterday, Campbell said while he was being blacklisted, he was able to see other names of human rights lawyers who were also barred from entering the country.

"Though I was only able to take a glance at the list, I recognized the names of other well known U.S Human rights attorneys, including Atty. Rachel Lederman and Tina Monshipur Foster, who were both recently the guests of women's group Gabriella and Human rights watchdog Karapatan," he said in his message.

"The government, instead of stifling these persons from expressing their views, should instead encourage diverse beliefs and listen to different opinions. This is the true spirit of community and democracy," said Lauron.

Meanwhile, in reaction to Campbell's arrest, Ambassador Victoriano Lecaros, the official spokesperson of the ASEAN Summit, said they have not been informed of Campbell's arrest.

However, he warned that foreign protesters have no right to disagree with the government and if they will do something against the law, they can possibly face arrest.

"If you come in as a tourist and you engage in activities that is inconsistent with the law, then you came in under false pretension, you will be thrown out in any country," Lecaros said.

The APRN conference aims to present the negative effects of liberalization policies on workers that the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit will discuss. - Jasmin R. Uy/LPM