NETHERLANDS / PHILIPPINES: Tribunal opens at The Hague indicting president Arroyo's regime and George W. Bush for human rights violations
Record ID:
1537982
NETHERLANDS / PHILIPPINES: Tribunal opens at The Hague indicting president Arroyo's regime and George W. Bush for human rights violations
- Title: NETHERLANDS / PHILIPPINES: Tribunal opens at The Hague indicting president Arroyo's regime and George W. Bush for human rights violations
- Date: 22nd March 2007
- Summary: JUDGES LISTENING TRIBUNAL IN SESSION
- Embargoed: 6th April 2007 12:41
- Keywords:
- Topics: Legal System,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVAETM0AYP94DNOSVR3SKJ5SCEJH
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: A forum made up of lawyers and human rights activists launched a hearing on Wednesday (March 21) into alleged human and political rights violations by the Philippines government, hoping to raise global awareness of the issue.
Philippine human rights group Karapatan has documented more than 839 cases of extrajudicial killings, including political activists, journalists, farmers and students, in the country of 83 million people since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001, and since George W. Bush declared South East Asia to be his second frontilne in the war on terror.
"Indicted are, obviously, first the prime minister of the Filipino government has responsibility and the US president. As it happens always in these cases, the probability, also in international law, of having the accused in fact captured, is zero, also for The Hague Tribunal. The problem for this Tribunal is to raise enough proof, Secretary General of Permanent Peoples' Tribunal Gianni Tognoni told Reuters on Wednesday.
The tribunal, an independent body founded in 1979 in Italy by lawyers, writers and intellectuals, examines and judges complaints regarding violations of human rights submitted by the victims themselves or groups representing them.
The 5-day hearing is being held in a church in The Hague. Groups representing political prisoners in the Philippines and activists in unsolved killings and disappearances will testify before the tribunal.
The Philippine government and the military have blamed the communist New People's Army rebel group for most of the murders, saying the organisation was purging its own ranks. Leftist groups have denounced these assertions.
Standing behind a large colourful mural showing the mother of justice brandishing a sword painted by children of Philippine political refugees in the Netherlands, Tribunal witnesses said the killings had increased after the Philippines joined the U.S. war against terrorism.
"Even the US has declared that South-East Asia, and particularly the Philippines, is the second front in their war against terrorism, and Gloria Macapagan Arroyo is echoing that declaration and is using that against the people. Her whole concept of counter-insurgency, her war against terror is a war against people opposing her policies, her government's programs, which runs really counter against anybody's concept of democracy," Jun Saturday, human rights activist who had to move to the Netherlands three years ago told Reuters.
The tribunal is expected to issue a verdict on Sunday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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