APC condemns the violent dispersal of Peasants' Camp Out

News Release
May 23, 2009

Manila, Philippines - On May 22, 2009, elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and security guards of the House of Representatives (HOR) brutally demolished the Rural People’s Camp-out initiated by the members of the Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) in the Philippines: such as the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), PAMALAKAYA (National Federation of Small Fiserfolks of the Philippines), AMIHAN (National Federation of Peasant Women) and UMA (National Union of Agricultural Workers), together with KASAMA-TK (KMP’s regional chapter in Southern Tagalog).

APC vehemently condemns this vicious act of state forces and calls on all of its member organizations and other progressive forces to denounce this brutal act by the Arroyo government and to show their support and solidarity to the Filipino peasants.

At around 11 o’clock in the morning, police forces arrived at the gates of the House of Representatives and ordered the farmers to vacate the area. The leaders of KMP, among them are Danilo Ramos (Secretary-General and concurrent Secretary-General of APC), Rep. Rafael Mariano (Chairperson and Anakpawis Partylist Representative), Wilfredo Marbella (Deputy Secretary General for Internal Affairs) and Antonio Flores (Auditor) attempted to negotiate with the police and officers of the Legislative Security Bureau of the HOR. It was then agreed that only one of the tents will be dismantled. The farmers of KASAMA-TK peacefully consented and transferred their belongings to the other tent. They then held a program condemning the various forms of harassment they continually experience, from the countryside to the gates of Congress.

However, the LSB was not satisfied. At around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, while Rep. Mariano was addressing the farmers, the PNP and security guards lined in front of the remaining tent and told the farmers that they will demolish it. After a fruitless negotiation, the demolition team, armed with truncheons and shields started dismantling the posts of the tent. They forcefully confiscated the flags of the peasant organizations and hitting the poor farmers who tried to stop them. All the while, members of KMP, PAMALAKAYA, AMIHAN and the peasants from the provincial organizations of KASAMA-TK, together with the staff of progressive partylists (Anakpawis and Bayan Muna) valiantly fought the police forces. Armed with only bamboo sticks and their courageous convictions, they linked arms and maintained their ranks while the police tried to go inside the tent and destroy the makeshift home of the farmers for 40 days.

In a statement made yesterday, Danilo Ramos said that “What happened today clearly demonstrates the fascist and anti-people nature of the Arroyo government. The poor peasants have been camping here for 40 days, militantly voicing out their plights to their congressmen whom they voted into office to serve them. But they were answered with violence from the police and apathy from their district representatives. The main reason why the farmers left their rice fields in the provinces is to seek the passage of HB 3059 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB), since it is the answer to the decades-long landlessness in the Philippines . But they were met with police brutality and resulted in the injuries of nine people. Guns were even pointed at us as we tried to prevent the police from coming inside. It shows this government’s blatant disregard for human rights and that they are ready to shed blood if only to prevent the farmers from owning the land they have been tilling for years.”

Later that day, after the destruction of what has been their home for 40, the farmers packed-up what was left of their belongings and set up camp at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Ramos added, “This kind of fascist act demonstrated by police forces has not only been happening here in the Philippines but also in most Asian countries. Peasants in Indonesia , India , and Bangladesh are brutally killed by state elements as they continue to fight for the land they have been tilling. We poor farmers have been miserable for so long, due to semi-feudal relations and export-oriented character of our countries’ agricultural sector. Down with imperialism. Down with trade liberalization policies wreaking havoc on Asian farmers. We will bear it no more. It is time for a revolutionary land reform program and we are willing to risk our lives to make it happen!” #