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Mother of disappeared activist takes plight to Europe
Editha Burgos, mother of disappeared Philippines activist Jonas Burgos, and Chairperson of Desaparecidos (Families of Desaparecidos for Justice), arrived in London on 15 October on the first leg of a European tour to highlight the plight of her missing son, who was dragged by gunmen in broad daylight from a restaurant in a busy shopping mall in Metro Manila, the Philippines, on 28 April 2007. Continue reading the article about the European speaking tour of Mrs. Editha Burgos.
Editha Burgos.
Jonas Burgos must be surfaced immediately by whoever is holding him...we believe Jonas must be allowed to defend himself in court, and not become part of the statistics of the disappeared and others who have fallen victim to extrajudicial punishment in these troubled times. Former Philippine President, Corazon Aquino
Hardly a day goes by without a fresh reminder of the essential importance of human rights. Just this week we’ve seen the appalling case of the abduction of Jonas Burgos and two companions...frankly I am shocked about what this suggests about the culture of impunity in this country. Alistair MacDonald, European Commission chief envoy to the Philippines
The Supreme Court's decision to establish a writ of amparo [protection] to facilitate the prompt resolution of alleged extrajudicial executions and forced disappearances is also encouraging...whether the judiciary will use its powers to overcome the military's resistance to clarifying the case of Jonas Burgos - a missing activist who may have been disappeared or killed - will be an important test. Prof Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions (statement given to 62nd session of UN General Assembly)
Editha Burgos, mother of disappeared Philippines activist Jonas Burgos, and Chairperson of Desaparecidos (Families of Desaparecidos for Justice), arrived in London on 15 October on the first leg of a European tour to highlight the plight of her missing son, who was dragged by gunmen in broad daylight from a restaurant in a busy shopping mall in Metro Manila, the Philippines, on 28 April 2007.
Jonas, 36-years-old at the time of his abduction, was an agriculturalist who had been teaching farm workers organic farming techniques. He was also a land rights activist helping farm workers fight for their rights through peaceful means.He was affiliated with the Alyansang Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon (Alliance of Peasants in Central Luzon), a local affiliate of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Movement of the Philippines). Jonas is the son of the late ‘press freedom icon’ Jose Burgos, Jr, a nationally renowned newspaper publisher who, in the words of former President Corazon Aquino, “lit our paths in the dark, long years of martial rule”.
Last year, Mrs. Burgos spent a month touring the USA to raise publicity, also meeting with UN Special Rapporteur Prof Philip Alston to update him on the case.On 21 October 2009, The Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines, together with Amnesty International UK and UNISON, will hold a public event at the Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre with Mrs. Burgos. She will speak to raise awareness of the issue of enforced disappearances in the Philippines. She will also meet with various politicians, and speak at other select gatherings.Mrs. Burgos said: “I am coming to the UK in the hope that I can help people realise what is happening to good people like my son and many, many others in the Philippines.
“I want us to elect honest people who will help end disappearances. If we do not put people there who will be sincere in dismantling all the institutions used to abduct people, these disappearances will not end.
“I have forgiven my son's abductors, his torturers, and even their commander-in-chief. I am at peace with the Lord. Now I will continue searching for my son. I don’t want to think that he is dead. Our search is made easier when I think that I will find him alive.”
The disappearance of Jonas has drawn significant media attention in the Philippines, and has led to Mrs. Burgos' meeting with prominent domestic and international figures. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo personally called up Mrs. Burgos to give her assurances that the police would aggressively pursue the case. However, little progress has been made since.
Mrs. Burgos testified before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that she believes the military took and still hold her son. However, all the implicated men have denied involvement. Witnesses have come forward claiming that the abductors, who claimed to be policemen but showed no identification, were seen driving into nearby military bases.
In 2007, a confidential military memo surfaced which showed Jonas’ name in the army's ‘order of battle’, a list of suspected communist insurgents targeted for arrest or elimination. Next to his name was the word “neutralized”.The government has since promoted the three officers implicated in the abduction.
“The promotion of these men only confirms the truth in our claim that the government, the state forces, are behind the disappearances,” said Mrs. Burgos.
Background:The case of Jonas serves to highlight the disturbing trend of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the Philippines: in 2007 Jonas was one of 30 disappeared people documented by human rights group Karapatan, which estimates that more than 900 activists, journalists, street children, petty thieves and outspoken clergy have been the victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings while the Arroyo administration has been in office. While the Government lays blame for these killings and disappearances on internal purges in the communist New People’s Army, organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, along with Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudidical, arbitrary or summary executions, have highlighted military or police involvement in many cases. The sheer numbers of disappeared, alongside the ‘culture of impunity’ that has developed around disappearances and extrajudicial killings, has seen the Arroyo regime lambasted as being worse than the Marcos dictatorship.
Details of the CHRP/Amnesty International/UNISON event can be found at:
www.amnesty.org.uk/events_details.asp
www.unison.org.uk/international/pages_view.asp
For more general information, please visit:
www.chrp.org.uk
www.karapatan.org
freejonasburgosmovement.blogspot.comhttp://freejonasburgosmovement.blogspot.com/
http://freejonasburgosmovement.blogspot.com/
Contact details:comms@chrp.org.uk
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