"Thanks, but no thanks Ambassador Kenney – your government's expressions of concern over the killings only add insult to already grievous injury"
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
"Thanks, but no thanks Ambassador Kenney – your government's expressions of concern over the killings only add insult to already grievous injury"
"Thanks, but no thanks, Ambassador. Your country has meddled so much and so long into the Philippines' internal, political affairs that we are not at all a sovereign nation. And before your government even thinks to make a comment on the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines, the would be better to pull out its own troops from Iraq and submit itself to the International Criminal Court for countless crimes against humanity. A lecture on human rights is not something the US government can credibly give."
Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran gave this comment today regarding US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney's statement that the US government is concerned over the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
"The US Embassy won't even surrender convicted rapist Daniel Smith to the Philippine authorities, and Smith violated a Filipina. The Macapagal-Arroyo presidency and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are waging this campaign against political activists and perpetrating extrajudicial killings also in the name of the US' campaign against terrorism. Ambassador Kenney's expressions of concern on behalf of her government only add insult to injury. They are steeped in hypocrisy," said Beltran.
The activist lawmaker detained on rebellion charges said that if the Ambassador Kenney is personally concerned over the human rights violations being perpetrated by the AFP, then she should make a recommendation to the White House that the US withdraw all military aid to the Philippines, and permanently call off the Balikatan exercises.
"Can she do this? Can Ambassador Kenney and her government go beyond issuing these statements of concern and do something concrete by way of ending military abuses in the Philippines? Sadly, the answer is most likely 'no'," Beltran said.
In the meantime, Beltran challenged Pres. Arroyo to order the immediate arrest of Jovito Palparan as proof that she will act on the recommendations of the Melo Commission and UN Human Rights Commission special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Philip Alston.
"If Pres. Arroyo was really sincere in addressing the issue of the killings, then she would immediately crack the whip on the AFP and order the scrapping of Oplan Bantay Laya. What we see, however, is Pres. Arroyo protecting the AFP and shielding the likes of Palparan from prosecution. What use are these courts Mrs. Arroyo is proposing of the killers are actually immune from prosecution? These courts most likely are being formed to try and acquit the killers, men like Palparan,"
"Macapagal-Arroyo is actually skirting the real issue of who is accountable for the killings. The Melo Commission which she herself created has pointed to the military as the perpetrators of the killings, but she refuses to act on that specific conclusion. All her orders to supposedly address the killings all nothing but window dressing," he concluded.#
"Thanks, but no thanks Ambassador Kenney – your government's expressions of concern over the killings only add insult to already grievous injury"
"Thanks, but no thanks, Ambassador. Your country has meddled so much and so long into the Philippines' internal, political affairs that we are not at all a sovereign nation. And before your government even thinks to make a comment on the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines, the would be better to pull out its own troops from Iraq and submit itself to the International Criminal Court for countless crimes against humanity. A lecture on human rights is not something the US government can credibly give."
Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran gave this comment today regarding US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney's statement that the US government is concerned over the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
"The US Embassy won't even surrender convicted rapist Daniel Smith to the Philippine authorities, and Smith violated a Filipina. The Macapagal-Arroyo presidency and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are waging this campaign against political activists and perpetrating extrajudicial killings also in the name of the US' campaign against terrorism. Ambassador Kenney's expressions of concern on behalf of her government only add insult to injury. They are steeped in hypocrisy," said Beltran.
The activist lawmaker detained on rebellion charges said that if the Ambassador Kenney is personally concerned over the human rights violations being perpetrated by the AFP, then she should make a recommendation to the White House that the US withdraw all military aid to the Philippines, and permanently call off the Balikatan exercises.
"Can she do this? Can Ambassador Kenney and her government go beyond issuing these statements of concern and do something concrete by way of ending military abuses in the Philippines? Sadly, the answer is most likely 'no'," Beltran said.
In the meantime, Beltran challenged Pres. Arroyo to order the immediate arrest of Jovito Palparan as proof that she will act on the recommendations of the Melo Commission and UN Human Rights Commission special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Philip Alston.
"If Pres. Arroyo was really sincere in addressing the issue of the killings, then she would immediately crack the whip on the AFP and order the scrapping of Oplan Bantay Laya. What we see, however, is Pres. Arroyo protecting the AFP and shielding the likes of Palparan from prosecution. What use are these courts Mrs. Arroyo is proposing of the killers are actually immune from prosecution? These courts most likely are being formed to try and acquit the killers, men like Palparan,"
"Macapagal-Arroyo is actually skirting the real issue of who is accountable for the killings. The Melo Commission which she herself created has pointed to the military as the perpetrators of the killings, but she refuses to act on that specific conclusion. All her orders to supposedly address the killings all nothing but window dressing," he concluded.#
posted at 11:41 PM
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