Defend Jose Maria Sison's
democratic rights!
Following the U.$. government's
lead, the government of the Netherlands issued its "Sanctions ruling on
terrorism 2002 III" on 13 August, criminalizing Philippine political
refugee Prof. Jose Maria Sison without benefit of due process. This ruling
freezes Prof. Sison's bank account and removes all state subsidies for food,
housing, health insurance and other basic necessities which he received as a
recognized political refugee.(1)
Prof. Sison has lived in exile
since the Aquino regime cancelled his passport in 1988 on the basis of false
charges. Before that the U.$.-backed Marcos dictatorship imprisoned and
tortured him for nine years, starting in 1977. Dutch courts previously upheld
his refugee status and granted his wife and son political asylum. Members of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines have conspired to kill him while he has
been in the Netherlands.(2)
Prof. Sison is currently the chief
political consultant of the revolutionary National Democratic Front of the
Philippines (NDFP) in peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of
the Philippines (GRP). He founded the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines
(CPP) in 1968. Philippine and Amerikan spy services and their media mouthpieces
claim without evidence that Sison still heads the CPP. However, as the CPP puts
it in a statement reprinted below, "the Party's collective leadership
effectively operates in the consolidated revolutionary guerilla bases in the
Philippines, safely out of the immediate reach and mischief by the US and local
reactionary armed forces."
The U.$. State Department recently
listed the CPP and the New People's Army (NPA) as "foreign terrorist
organizations" and encouraged other governments "to take action to
isolate these terrorist organizations, to choke off their sources of financial
support, and to prevent their movement across international borders."(1)
On 12 August 2002 the U.$. Treasury Department listed Prof. Sison as a
"terrorist" whose assets must be frozen. The Dutch government passed
the "Sanctions ruling on terrorism 2002 III" the next day.
There is no substance to U.$.
charges that the CPP and Prof. Sison are "terrorists." They are a
crass attempt to meddle in internal Philippine affairs and silence Prof. Sison,
who is a vocal critic of Amerikan imperialism.
The Philippine Justice Secretary
has certified that no criminal charge whatsoever exists against Prof. Sison in
the Philippines. The NPA has pledged to abide by the Geneva convention. The
CPP-led NDFP prioritized ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human
Rights and International Humanitarian Law in its talks with the GRP. Since both
parties signed the agreement, the Philippine army has repeatedly tortured and
killed captured NPA members, while the NPA has released several high-ranking
Philippine officers who afterwards spoke highly of their treatment.(4)
Twenty-two members of the European
Parliament signed a letter asking the Netherlands to withdraw its
classification of Prof. Sison and the CPP/NPA as "terrorists."
"We make this request in accordance with European Parliament Resolutions
in 1997 and 1999, which have strongly supported and endorsed the peace
negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the
National Democratic Front of the Philippines."(1) Even some GRP senators
condemned the U.$. ruling as meddling in an "internal matter."(3)
Prof. Sison is not the only persyn
affected by these charges--they also restrict the speech rights of residents of
the United $tates or its European allies. Even those who defend publication of
Prof. Sison writings or those of the CPP on the grounds that this is necessary
for fully informed public debate may face harassment or deportation under the
"USA Patriot Act." Standing up for Prof. Sison is also standing up
for our own ability to speak and organize freely.
To defend Prof. Sison's democratic
rights we call on readers to demand the following demands of the Dutch
government: the full respect for the protection of Jose Maria Sison as a
recognized refugee under the relevant international conventions; the grant of
his residence permit in the Netherlands; the immediate de-listing of his name
and the unconditional and complete withdrawal of the "Sanctieregeling
terrorisme 2002 III;" the immediate, unconditional and complete
restoration of all the social benefits to which he is entitled as a political
refugee (monthly allowance, insurance and housing benefits); the refusal of any
possible demand for his extradition.
For further information, addresses
and fax numbers and organizing materials see below:
* DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF PROF. JOSE
MARIA SISON (petition) * Statement from the Community Party of the Philippines
* The US wants to close the dragnet around Sison * Amerika slanders the CPP/NPA
as "terrorist organizations"
Notes: 1. http://www.defendsison.be
2. https://anon.ssl.anonymizer.com/http://www.inps-sison.freewebspace.com/Estrada%20is%20Mastermind.htm
3. MIM Notes 266, 15 Sep 2002. 4. See e.g. MIM Notes 189, 15 Mar 1999; MIM
Notes 194, 15 Sep 1999; MIM Notes 249, 1 Jan 2002.