NOVEMBER 16, 2006

“We were just asking for a little wage.”
A farm worker after the November 16 Hacienda Luisita Massacre

The people of Hacienda Luisita continue to be killed, physically abused and terrorized within the year after the November 16, 2004 massacre at the picket line.

These are dark days for Filipino workers as their ranks are continually attacked with the unabated spate of human rights violations in the Philippines.

We, trade unionists, migrant workers, community organizers, and human rights advocates in Hong Kong are outraged by such attacks. We are even more outraged that not a single case has been solved and not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice. The claim of the government that they have arrested suspects in some of the cases has not satisfied the families of the victims. A concrete case was the arrest of the alleged killer of Bishop Alberto Ramento, known as the "Bishop of the poor, peasants and workers". Up to now, the police and the government are still maintaining the Bishop's murder as a simple criminal case.

As of June this year, 64 leaders, members, organizers and supporters of trade unions and associations of informal workers have been killed. This is on top of the 982 cases of trade union and human rights violations victimizing 77,028 workers documented by worker’s rights advocates.

Most notable of the cases are the Hacienda Luisita massacre where seven farm workers were killed and scores more were wounded; the murder of Diosdado “Ka Fort” Fortuna, president of the worker’s union in Nestle, and; the killing of Ricardo Ramos, chairperson of the CATLU one the striking unions at Hacienda Luisita.

They were just asking for a wage increase that has long been denied. Farm workers in Hacienda Luisita are receiving a slave wage of P9.50 a day (HK$1.50). In the national level, the call for a P125 (HK$20) across the board nationwide wage hike has not yet been granted. They were just asking for better employment conditions. They were just fighting for their rights.

Most importantly, they were struggling for the betterment of the condition of the majority of Filipinos who are poor and oppressed.

Yet they were killed and silenced.

In the interest of profit, of multinational corporations, and the powers that be in the Philippine government and big businesses, workers and militant trade unions are now branded as “terrorist of factories” and thus are targeted in the all-out war of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government.

Even known unionist and now member of Parliament, Rep. Crispin Beltran of the KMU and Anakpawis Partylist did not escape the harassment and persecution of the government as he continues his forced incarceration without any legitimate charges.

On the International Day of Action against Trade Union Repression and Political Killings in the Philippines the very day that Hacienda Luisita massacre happened two years ago we, people of Hong Kong reiterate our support to the demand for justice for the victims and the end of the extrajudicial killings.

On November 19, hundreds of us will march to the Philippine Consulate General to express our indignation in a major national action for the defense of the rights of workers and of the Filipino people. We call for the Hong Kong people to come out and be counted.

Our march is for life, our action is for liberties, and our support is for human rights.

Signed:

HK Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP)
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body (AMCB)
Asian Students’ Association (ASA)
Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS)
Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia di Hong Kong (ATKI-HK)
Center for Justpeace in Asia
Atty. Chato Olivas-Gallo, C.E.O., Christian Solidarity Worldwide – Hong Kong
Cordillera Alliance in Hong Kong (CORALL-HK)
Far East Overseas Nepalese Association in Hong Kong (FEONA-HK)
Filipino Migrant Workers Union (FMWU)
Hong Kong Christian Institute (HKCI)
Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU)
Hong Kong Women Workers Association (HKWWA)
Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese
Pastor Joe Gallo, Christian Fellowship Ministries Hong Kong
People's Democracy Foundation
Thai Regional Alliance in Hong Kong (TRA-HK)
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
United Pangasinan Hong Kong (UPHK)
Zi Teng, Hong Kong

Reference:
Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines
c/o ASA, No. 2 Jordan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
Tel. (852) 98105070, 97409406, 97585935 | Fax. (852) 25262894
E-mail: hkcahrpp@gmail.com
Blogsite: http://stk-hk.blogspot.com