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Anti-China hysteria has emerged as the central ‘threat’ designed to justify endless U.S. military spending and adventurism in the Asia-Pacific.
Workers have been infuriated by the callous treatment they’ve received in their workplaces. But many of them recognized that the most surefire way to get their employers to provide the protection they needed was through collective action.
They urged the Philippine authorities “to carry out an immediate, thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into Alvarez’s murder, to identify all those responsible, bring them before an independent tribunal, and sanction them as provided by the law.”
“We call on all member states of the UN Human Rights Council to be seized of the seriousness of the human rights situation in the Philippines and to adopt all the recommendations in your June 30 report on the human rights situation in the Philippines,” ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy said in his letter to Bachelet.
“Sorry, we are not just for your consumption.”
In particular, two countries, Colombia and the Philippines, continue to top PANAP’s list of deadliest places for land rights defenders.
Under the guise of ‘freedom of navigation’ and ‘commitment to support regional stability’, China and the US have been taking turns in militarizing our territorial waters and plundering our natural resources.
“The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 undermines constitutionally protected rights to political expression and dissent by equating activism with terrorist activities that are defined under the law.”
Fast track this to the current Duterte regime and the Filipino artists, in the mainstream or alternative circles, continue to fight for causes, even at the risk of being red-tagged and branded a “terrorist”. They have lent their names and influence and, whenever necessary, appeared in media or in crowds to fight for democracy and justice, very recently against the so-called Anti-Terrorism Bill which could be worse than martial law. In a way they have become idols of resistance, raising the awareness of their fans and encouraging them to fight for their own rights as citizens.
The challenge for American activists and organizers is to now elevate these contradictions towards the primary question of class struggle; something that hasn’t been done since the Black Panther Party of the 1960s.
As the world grapples with the continuously unfolding crises in public health, economy, and food security, fishing communities face exacerbated hunger, job insecurity, and uncertainty of survival.
Israel has been a threat, not only to its people, but to its entire region. With the support of the US government, it has continued to build nuclear arsenal and weapons through the years, bombing and destroying houses, properties of innocent Palestinians. This is despite the several warnings issued by the United Nations.
Amid the worsening COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the U.S. government is brokering a $2 billion arms sale to Duterte’s repressive regime, fueling a human rights catastrophe.
“Instead of prioritizing widespread testing and providing support for workers, Trump has ensured profits for his Wall Street friends. We need hazard pays, our health workers should be given the pay they need..."
Treating the current global food crisis as a ‘logistics’ issue glosses over the fact that it roots from decades of imperialist plunder, land grabbing, trade monopolies, and neoliberal policies espoused by International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization, and other international financial institutions.
“COVID-19, one of the worst pandemics to hit the world since the Spanish Influenza of 1918 is now exposing the vulnerabilities of privatized national public health care systems and the inadequate response of the capitalist governments.”
The Trump administration’s overuse of the “ Iranian terrorist designations” has now further threatened the entry of humanitarian aid in Iran, which is supposed to be exempted from sanctions.
Medical experts said it will take 18 months to develop a vaccine, though more for it to become deployable. In the meantime, I find myself being ushered into a “new normal”.
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