Malaya, Monday January 15, 2007
Anti-terror pact worries militants
By Reinir Padua
ACTIVISTS yesterday expressed concern over the recent passage of the Convention
on Counterterrorism by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean), saying it could be a "dangerous instrument" in current widespread human
rights violations.
The Bagong Alyansang Maka-bayan (Bayan) condemned the legally binding
agreement on cooperation in combating terrorist threats in the region, saying "human
rights advocacy is not a notable trait of many Asean member countries."
The counter-terror regional pact signed in the 12th Asean summit in Cebu calls on
member countries to adopt legislation to guarantee support on measures to counter
terrorism, intelligence and information sharing, establishment of a regional database
and measures to capture and bring perpetrators to justice.
Based on records of the human rights group Karapatan, an allied organization of
Bayan, around 800 activists have been killed since President Arroyo assumed office
in 2001. The latest victim was Rodolfo Alvarado, a member of the Bayan Muna
party-list, who was killed on Dec. 31 in Albay.
Renato Reyes, Jr., Bayan secretary general, said the anti-terror pact is a "dangerous
instrument in the hands of governments with poor human rights records and whose
sovereignty is easily undermined."
"Governments like the Arroyo administration will most likely use the anti-terrorism
convention as a potential tool for repression, which is dangerous given the current
state of human rights in the country. The administration will surely use this to justify
the passage of the draconian anti-terrorism bill still pending in the Senate," Reyes
said.
Bayan said the Philippines is playing the role of "US proxy in the region."
"Politically, the Philippines has become more and more the chief cheerleader and
proxy of the United States in the region. The Philippines has pushed the so-called US
war on terror with great fervor, and without consideration of the implications on our
national sovereignty," Reyes said.
Reyes said other Asean member countries with repressive regimes face the same
dangers of heightened repression in the conduct of the so-called "war on terror."
Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
"Over the past five years, human rights have been the first casualty in the conduct of
the so-called global war on terror. From the US to Iraq to Southeast Asia, the
experiences have been similar," Reyes said.
Reyes said what is disturbing in the convention is that there is not even any
categorical definition of terrorism, allowing for a broad and vague definition of terrorism
which can be abused by repressive regimes.
"This is even more untenable considering that the Philippines itself does not even have
a legal definition of terrorism yet in considers itself a party to a legally binding
anti-terrorism covenant. We will certainly object to any attempt to come up with an
Asean terror list similar to the US and European Union listings," Reyes said.
The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said the anti-terror pact would mean
"death sentence for activists and democracy" in the Philippine setting.
"The exclusion of state terrorism also shields the regimes that are systematically
using terrorism and violence against its own people to stifle legitimate decent, just like
what is happening here in the Philippines," said Wilfredo Marbella, KMP deputy
secretary general.
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