Militants gearing up for Asean Summit

Local and foreign militant groups are gearing up to conduct various activities despite warnings from the Philippine government barring activists from attending the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu this December.

"Our activities will be peaceful and creative exercises of our basic right to freedom of expression and assembly. The governments of the ASEAN must pay attention to what citizens groups from their countries have to say," said Lidy Nacpil, international coordinator of Jubilee South and vice president of Freedom from Debt Coalition, during a press briefing held in Makati City.

From Dec. 10 to 14, the ten heads of state of ASEAN member countries will come to Cebu to attend this year’s summit, whose theme is "One Caring and Sharing Community." The summit is expected "to serve as a venue to discuss and agree on initiatives that will speed up ASEAN’s economic integration in an increasingly competitive global market."

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said recently no group will be allowed to hold rallies when the ASEAN leaders meet on Dec. 19 for their annual three-day summit.

"If they do (hold rallies), they will be arrested and thrown to the sharks," he said in a flippant remark.

Philippine human rights groups particularly want to highlight the deteriorating situation in the country where they allege that over 764 leftist activists have been murdered since President Arroyo came to power in 2001.

"If the Philippine government pushes through with its intent to prevent protest activities from taking place, it will demonstrate very clearly that the theme of a ‘sharing and caring community’ is a sham," Nacpil said in a statement.

She said their ASEAN People’s Camp and Week of Action, which will be held from Dec. 9 to 13, is a gathering of cause-oriented groups, social movements and peoples’ organizations that struggle for people’s security, human rights, economic justice and democratic governance for the peoples of Southeast Asia.

The highlights of the weeklong activity is the ASEAN Peoples’ Camp on Dec. 12 to 13 at the University of the Philippines-Cebu grounds, and an international mobilization on the afternoon of the 13th.

At the ASEAN camp, tents will be erected for exhibits, teach-ins, and a flea market. International public forums, seminars, workshops will also be held. Among the topics that will be raised are trade and globalization, regional integration, debt and privatization, agri-fisheries issues and human rights.

On the evening of the 12th, there will be a concert featuring artists such as Noel Cabangon, Gary Granada, Bayang Barrios and other musicians who hail from Cebu.

"The week of action will include activities and mobilizations not only in Cebu, but also in Metro Manila and in other ASEAN countries as well," Nacpil said.

On Dec. 11, fisherfolk will hold a fluvial protest at the Mactan Channel to air their opposition to the ASEAN fisheries trade liberalization. A peasant protest action will be held on Dec. 12, while big mobilizations will be held on Dec. 13 in Manila and Cebu.

Karen Tañada, a member of the Citizen’s Council on Human Rights, said the government was targeting militant groups that plan to hold parallel activities during the summit.

"The government is putting up military detachments where these groups are based," she said in a statement. "This is precisely one of the many reasons why we are challenging ASEAN governments to uphold basic civil liberties. Their record on human rights is dismal."

Human rights groups like Amnesty International have criticized the spate of killings of activists in the Philippines, saying in a report in August that "a failure to prosecute any of (the) killers risks perpetuating a cycle of human rights violations."

Failure to punish the killers sends "a message of de facto state tolerance for such practices," Amnesty International said.

The government has said the reports of political killings are bloated and part of a black propaganda campaign mounted by communist insurgents.

Gina dela Cruz, secretary-general of Alab Katipunan, said the theme of this year’s summit is like "a fantasy that can be found only in our dreams" because of the way ASEAN leaders conduct their affairs.

"Since its establishment, ASEAN has come to be known for the ‘ASEAN Way,’ an agreement that no single state can decide on matters affecting the region without the endorsement of the member states. The consensus reached is always the minimum because the region is so diverse. The ‘ASEAN Way’ also includes the policy of no-interference in the internal affairs of any of its member states," she said.

Dela Cruz said the ASEAN Way is the reason why ASEAN "has not reached strong and collective positions on issues affecting a member state or the region as a whole," such as the escalating crisis in East Timor, the brutal crackdown on activists in Burma, the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and the political killings in the Philippines. — With AFP