In Melbourne, a protest action was organized by the Philippines Australia Solidarity Association (PASA), Australia Asia Worker Links (AAWL) and Migrante Melbourne. It was attended by members of various groups such as the Union Solidarity, Electrical Trades Union (ETU), Communications Electrical & Plumbing Union (CEPU), Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), Australian Services Union (ASU), Australian Union of Workers (AUW), Staff from the office of Senator Marshall, Bolivarian Circle, and Friends of Rapu Rapu – Melbourne.
They braved the cold & wet weather in Melbourne on May 31 to protests against the continuous extrajudicial killings in the Philippines and the signing of a military agreement between Australia and the Philippines.
In Rome, Italy, OFWs committed the same welcome for Arroyo who will be staying there from June 2-4.
Gloria Arroyos visit to Rome, the seat of the Vatican, on June 2-4, is part of her regimes international public relations blitz to repair the tarnished image of the Philippines as a democratic country after the fraudulent and violent congressional and local elections last May 14, read the statements of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) International-Europe. The Rome visit is also to get the Catholic Churchs blessings for her criminal regime.
She will surely face a furious Filipino community and its solidarity friends here in Europe, the statement read. Umangat-Rome, Lampada-Milan, Migrante Europe and Bayan International-Europe are among the Filipino groups in Europe, condemning the human rights violations in the Philippines, that will launch their protests actions.
Other campaigns
Meanwhile, OFWs in other countries are also having their own campaign against the rights abuses against Filipino activists.
In Canada and Japan, Filipino migrants and workers have launched their respective petitions calling for an end to these violations.
Filipino-Canadian formations, such as the Center for Philippine Concerns and the broad Canadian Coalition to Stop the Political Killings in the Philippines, lobbied Members of Parliament (MPs) who tabled their signature campaign that gathered thousands of signatures across Canada in the House of Commons.
The Centre for Philippine Concerns also led a prayer vigil on April 29 in front of the St. James United Church in Montreal. The march from the church to the US Consulate was part of their effort to keep the public and supporters aware and vigilant and to show the people that we must hold US imperialism and it’s puppet regime accountable for the political killings in the Philippines.
The United Methodist Church formed a 17-member team representing its California-Nevada conference will issue its report about the killings and disappearances of activists and civilians in the Philippines on June 10. The report was based on a recent fact-finding mission in the Philippines.
In Hong Kong, protests frequent the Philippine Consulate led by Hong Kong Campaign for the Advancement of Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP), Gabriela Womens Party (GWP)-Hong Kong, and United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK).
HKCAHRPP called for the international community to continue and intensify the international pressure to resolve the human rights abuses in the Philippines and to make GMAs terror regime accountable for crimes against the Filipino people as laid down by the guilty verdict by the independent and prestigious Permanent Peoples Tribunal. OFWs in Hong Kong also campaigned for elections free from fraud and violence. Bulatlat
Pinoy Life Abroad
