As 2008 nears its end, many Filipinos conclude that their dire plight got unbearably worse this year. More and more urban poor families speak with anguish about their impoverished state while adamantly stressing the need for “radical change”. BY JEFFREY OCAMPO YEAREND REPORT – URBAN POOR (Bulatlat.com) A new year is commencing. Looking back at…
Day: December 20, 2008
The US War on Terror*
“Fascism will never come to America as fascism. It will come as 100 percent Americanism.” Huey Long “When fascism come to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross” Sinclair Lewis BY DR. HALUK GERGER INTERNATIONAL Posted by Bulatlat After the Second World War, the US imperialism had premeditated two immediate objectives…
Peace Advocates Welcome Video of NPA’s Prisoner of War
An interfaith group deemed as a positive step the release of a video footage of a prisoner of war (POW) held by the New People’s Army (NPA). BY DAVAO TODAY Posted by(Bulatlat.com) The Interfaith Movement for Peace and the Release of Cammayo and Tumol (IMPACT) welcomed the recently released video footage of 1Lt. Vicente Cammayo…
How Important is the MOA-AD on the Moro People’s Quest for Right to Self-Determination?
Just how important was the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) to the Moro people? BY GRACE S. UDDIN Davao Today Posted by(Bulatlat.com) DAVAO CITY—Just how important was the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) to the Moro people? Mohagher Iqbal, the chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said the…
The Shoe Heard Round the World
As with any event that pushes history forward, when you click the play button over and over to watch Muntanzer al-Zaidi mumble something in Arabic that we now know meant “This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!,” the question inevitably arises – Why hasn’t this happened before? BY AARON LAKE SMITH…
Obama Should Worry About Iraqi Shoes, Too
When Iraq’s violence escalates, President Obama better not be caught on his heels when he’s blamed for losing Bush’s “win.” By Ben Lando AlterNet INTERNATIONAL Posted by Bulalat After four hours stuck in Baghdad traffic, I was close enough to get out of the car and walk to my hotel. I’m sure it was raw…
Gov’t, Media ‘Fall Short of Responsibility’ in HR Issues – Rights Advocates
In the midst of rampant human rights violations in the country allegedly perpetrated by the state’s armed forces and intelligence agencies, human rights groups and advocates lament that the government is not making any move towards resolving them. The media, they say, is likewise falling short of its responsibility of bringing the issue close to…
YEARENDER: Of Aborted Agreements and Dashed Hopes for Peace
The year 2008 was supposed to have marked a milestone in the 11-year history of on-and-off peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Yet this year, the dream of peace in Mindanao has only become more elusive. BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO YEAREND REPORT – THE MINDANAO CONFLICT Bulatlat The…
Mabtad as Told by a Kalinga Warrior
In his uggayam, or traditional chant, Ama Julio Longan, 68, of the Taloctoc sub-tribe of Kalinga urged his audience in a human rights rally to join mabtad, where Cordillera communities and groups are urged to collectively act in searching for James Balao, an activist missing since September 17. BY ARTHUR ALLAD-IW INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WATCH Northern…
Injustice, Impunity, Trademarks of Arroyo Regime – Rights Group
Injustice and impunity are still trademarks of the Arroyo regime, said a human rights alliance in an annual report released to the media.
Scarred Souls, Lost Innocence: Stories of Children Victims of Human Rights Violations
At first glance, they looked like ordinary children. But deep within them are scarred souls and lost innocence because they are children-victims of human rights violations. On December 9, they went to see the United Nations (UN) Secretary General’s Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy to tell her their tragic stories.