Photos courtesy of:

Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace

in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP)

The Walk for Justice, Walk for Peace started with an interfaith prayer by representatives from the Christian, Buddisht and Muslim religions.

Fr. Gianni Crivelle, PIME: – “behind these numbers are people, the victims and their families. We come today to seek justice for them.”

Press Release
23 September 2007
 
For reference:

Jackie Hung               Fr. Dwight dela Torre
Co-convenor              Co-convenor
Tel. No.:  92681803   Tel. No.: 98105070
 
GMA gov’t, “international shame on HR”
Filipinos and HK activists march for victims

of rights abuses
 
“Much like the victims of Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law, victims of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s state terrorism still seek justice. GMA’s government is an international shame to human rights.”
 
This was declared by Jackie Hung, co-convenor of the Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP) as around 800 protesters trooped to the Philippine Consulate General to call for a end to human rights abuses and resolution of cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced  disappearances in the Philippines.
 
Dubbed as “Walk for Justice, Walk for Peace”, the protesters composed of Filipino domestic workers, migrant workers from other countries, and local human rights advocates each carried a placard that calls for justice for each victim of extrajudicial killings. The action was a part of the internationally-coordinated protests called by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in commemoration of Martial Law 35 years ago.
 
“The government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is guilty of the worst human rights abuses against the Filipino people. The number of victims of human rights violations under the regime of GMA in six years has even surpassed the victims of Marcos’ 10 years of martial rule,” Hung added.
 
According to the group, human rights abuses in the country remain unabated and is set to even worsen with the implementation of the Human Security Act of 2007.
 
“GMA’s government is not concerned with justice nor with peace. It hypocritically offers promises of peace on one hand but crushes critics with an iron fist on the other,” remarked Fr. Dwight dela Torre, HKCAHRPP co-convenor.
 
Fr. dela Torre said that the recent arrest and continuing political persecution of Prof. Jose Maria Sison have shown peace was “far from the government’s agenda”.
 
“What peace is there if to become vocal for the cause of the poor – be it a pastor, priest, lawyer, journalist, or human rights worker – is to be answered with guns or repression?” he added.
 
Hung said that activists for human rights and local people in Hong Kong in solidarity with the Filipinos will continue to organize and participate in solidarity actions that advocate for justice to victims of political killings and persecution.
 
“Hong Kong people stood with the Filipinos until Martial Law was dismantled. We shall do so again until state terrorism of the GMA government is ended,” she concluded.#

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The Secretariat
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
2/F., New Hall, St. John's Cathedral,
4 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong SAR
Tel : (852) 3156-2447   Fax : (852) 2526-2894
E-mail: secretariat@unifil.org.hk
Website: http://www.unifil.org.hk
Blog: compatriots.blogspot.com

Download statement in word format

For videos by UNIFIL-HK, click below:

http://www.youtube.com/user/unifilhk

Jackie Hung (left),, Co-convenor, HKCAHRPP – “we will continue to support the struggle of the Filipino people for justice, genuine peace and democracy”

Apo Leung (right), Executive Director, Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC) – “many of the victims of the extrajudicial killings are trade unionist who are just fighting for workers’ rights”

Dolores Balladares, Chairperson, UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK  – “we are not only commemorating the declaration of martial law 35 years ago, we are currently fighting the martial rule of the US-Arroyo regime.”

Rey Asis, Regional Secretary, Asian Students’ Association (ASA)  – on the political persecution of Prof. Joma Sison – “the attack on Prof. Sison is an attack to the Filipino people’s struggle for national liberation, genuine peace and democracy.”

Eni Lestari, Spokesperson, Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB)

Lisa Leung, Executive Director, Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese (HKJP)  – “human rights violations are happening all over the world under the pretext of “global war on terror””

Cultural presentation:

LIKHA Migrants’ Cultural Organization – dance interpretation of the song “Pahayagan”

▲Umbrella organization: HKCAHRPP is composed of human rights advocates and various groups in HK

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