03-10-2002
It is extremely important that all peace loving organizations and individuals act now to avoid an unfolding human tragedy and bring a just and lasting peace to the Philippines.
Nothing less than the life of a highly respected and patriotic Filipino, Professor Jose Maria Sison, is at stake.
Professor Sison has been a lifelong leader in the struggle of the Filipino people against imperialism, foreign intervention, economic globalization, and for social justice. Professor Sison has been imprisoned for 10 years under the Marcos dictatorship while the national democratic movement initiated by him was instrumental in bringing down the US supported dictatorial Marcos regime that later led to the removal of US military bases from Philippine ! soil Because of his principled struggle, Sison was forced to go in exile and seek asylum in the Netherlands where he has been a political refugee recognized by the European parliament since 1987. He remains the chief consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on peace negotiation. The NDFP has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Philippine government for the past years but this move towards peace was sidetracked due to the intransigence of the Philippine government aggravated by US intervention. Under the pretext of a “global war against terrorism,” the Bush administration deployed US troops into the Philippines, a direct violation of the Philippine constitution, and pressured the Philippine government into renewing its war against the progressive forces in the islands. Not content with these aggressive measures, the US Treasury Department specifically listed Professor Sison as a “terrorist” and the Dutch government has supinely gone a! long with its NATO ally.
Professor Sison has had his bank account frozen and even curtailed the meager allowance given to asylum seekers for personal necessities leaving him and his family without the means for physical survival. In the past, despite Professor Sison’s repeated requests, the Dutch government has consistently denied Sison right to work.
There are also indications that Professor Sison be extradited to the US, which sees him and the Philippine progressive movement as a major obstacle to expanding its military and economic dominance in the Philippines.
A worldwide campaign to defend the democratic rights of Professor Jose Maria Sison has been launched. In the US, the Solidarity Committee in Support of a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Solidarity Committee) launch its counterpart campaign to demand to the Dutch government to stop persecuting Professor Sison and urge that his benefits be reinstated and grant him absolute political asylum.
The Solidarity Committee in Support of a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (Solidarity Committee) Initial conveners:
Jim Lafferty, National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
Scott Scheffer, International Action Center (IAC)
Don White, Committee In Support of the People of El
Salvador (CISPES)
Rodrigo Argueta, Comite pro-Democracia en Mexico (CDM)
Beverly Tang, People’s Coalition Against War (PCAW)
Mo Nishida, Asians for Jericho and Mumia (AJM)