OFFICE OF THE CHAIRPERSON
MEMO-CIRCULAR
TO : ICC MEMBERS AND MEMBER-ORGANIZATIONS
FROM : OFFICE OF CHAIRPERSON
SUBJECT : CAMPAIGN TO STOP OPPRESSIVE POLICY
DATE : 11 OCTOBER 2009
We enjoin all ICC members and member-organizations of the ILPS to heed the call of the International DEFEND Committee to carry out a campaign to stop the oppressive policy of the Council of the European Union and the Dutch government as well as the US and Philippine governments against Prof. Jose Maria Sison. For your information and guidance, we attach hereto the call of the committee.
It is of urgent importance that you and your allies carry out the campaign within the sphere of your activities and on the scale of your effectiveness during the current period up to Human Rights Day, 10 December 2009, because this is the period when the Council of EU as defendant and the Dutch government as intervener decide to appeal or not the 30 September judgment of the European Court of First Instance (ECFI) annulling the decisions and regulation by which the Council of the EU has put Prof. Sison in the terrorist blacklist and the Dutch government has undertaken severe oppressive actions against him.
We must avail of the favorable momentum of the ECFI judgment and stop completely the oppressive policy against Prof. Sison and prevent the Council of EU and the Dutch government from taking action to delay and deny the justice that he deserves. If the oppressive policy continues beyond this year's Human Rights Day, then the campaign should proceed ever more resolutely and militantly.
In the call of the International DEFEND Committee, it is clear what kinds of activities you can undertake by way of participating in the campaign. Please inform the Office of the ILPS Chairperson and the International DEFEND Committee what activities you are planning to carry out and subsequently what activities have been carried out. It is of great importance that information about such activities are known widely in order to promote international solidarity and support for Prof. Jose Maria Sison.
Please use the following email addresses: ilpschair@casema.nl and ilp515@runbox.com
Thank you.
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______________________________________________________________________
International Committee to DEFEND Filipino Progressives in Europe
______________________________________________________________________
STOP THE OPPRESSIVE POLICY
AGAINST PROF. JOSE MARIA SISON
By the International Committee DEFEND
11 October 2009
We congratulate Prof. Jose Maria Sison for winning last 30 September 2009
the favorable judgment of the European Court of First Instance (ECFI) in
his complaint against the Council of the European Union (EU) for having
unjustly put him on the terrorist blacklist since 28 October 2002.
The ECFI judgment has annulled the decisions and the regulation of the
Council of EU putting him on its terrorist blacklist. Thus, it has
removed him from that list and has unfrozen his small bank account. But
the Council of the EU might still decide to make a frivolous appeal, if
only to delay and deny the justice that Prof. Sison deserves.
It is inconceivable how the Council of EU can make a serious appeal on
any question of law in view of the fact that the ECFI judgment has ruled
on substantial issues and has declared that Prof. Sison has never been
investigated, prosecuted or convicted for any specific act of terrorism
and that the Dutch court decisions on his asylum case and on the false
murder charge cannot be used as basis for blacklisting him as a
terrorist.
We demand that the Council of EU and the Dutch government as well as the
Philippine and US governments stop their oppressive policy against Prof.
Sison. This oppressive policy is maliciously based on false charges of
terrorism and common crimes supplied by the Philippine government under
the prodding of the US government.
Such false charges have been used by the Dutch government to prevent
Prof, Sison from legal admission as refugee and from residence in The
Netherlands despite Dutch court rulings that he is a political refugee
under Article 1 A of the Refugee Convention. These false charges have
been further used to put him on the terrorist blacklist from 2002 onwards
and to arrest and detain him in 2007.
The Dutch government has systematically used the terrorist blacklisting
of Prof. Sison to oppress him in the following ways: the freezing of his
small bank account, termination of his social benefits (living allowance,
housing, health insurance and old age pension), banning him from
rendering professional services with remuneration, denying him legal
residence, curtailing his right to travel, demonizing him and inciting
public hatred against him, endangering his life and limb and attacking
his dignity and honor.
The Council of the EU and the Dutch government has engaged in the
systematic and gross violation of the human rights of Prof. Sison. Like
the US and other rabid pro-US countries, they have relied on the false
charges of terrorism and common crimes supplied by the Philippine
government. They have impeded the Filipino people's demand for respect of
human rights and for a just and lasting peace. Through the use of the
terrorist blacklisting and false charges of common crimes, they have
practically obstructed and sabotaged the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.
It is a shame that governments declaring themselves as exponents of human
rights have actually emboldened and collaborated with the Philippine
government in the use of false charges to justify the abduction, torture
and extrajudicial killing of hundreds of social activists (as carried in
the reports of UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston and human rights
organizations), the arrest and indefinite detention of political
opponents of the Arroyo regime and the oppression of Prof. Sison and the
NDFP panelists, consultants and staffers abroad.
We demand that, concomitant with stopping the oppressive policy against
Prof. Sison, all governments concerned must remove him from any terrorist
blacklist and must respect his human rights. He must be able to render
professional services with remuneration. His social benefits must be
restored. He must be able to make financial transactions. He must have
residence permit. He must be able to travel freely. He must be able to
claim moral and material damages for all the years that he has been
oppressed.
We must wage a campaign to stop the oppressive policy against Prof.
Sison, demand respect for his human rights and end the terrorist label on
him. This campaign should include meetings of the lawyers and supporters
of Prof. Sison with parliamentarians and other policy-makers and with the
mass media, people's organisations and other shapers of public opinion;
forums, seminars and publications on the case of Prof. Sison in the
contest of defending human rights; circulation, signing and presentation
of petitions; and mass actions before the pertinent offices of certain
governments.
We urge all institutions, organizations and individuals concerned with
human rights and the plight of Prof. Sison to join the campaign and
contribute whatever they can to make the campaign successful. We hope
that the campaign will be successful so that Prof. Sison can enjoy fully
his civil and political rights, practise his profession to earn a living
and devote more time to the performance of his duties and
responsibilities as chief political consultant of the NDFP negotiating
panel in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations and as chairperson of the
International League of Peoples' Struggle.
Please intensify your participation in the campaign and undertake all
kinds of activities that you can within the period, from now up to Human
Rights Day, 10 December 2009 because this is the period when the Council
of EU decide to appeal or not the ECFI judgment in favor of Prof. Sison.
The campaign will be further intensified if the Council of EU and the
Dutch government decide to undertake action to delay or deny the justice
that Prof. Sison deserves.
Please inform us of your plans and activities through Ruth de Leon,
executive director of International Committee DEFEND. Thank you.
Email: defenddemrights@yahoo.com
Website: www.defendsison.be
Telephone: 00-31-30-8895306 Fax: 00-31-847589930
Address: Amsterdamsestraatweg 50,
3513 AG Utrecht
The Netherlands
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