[asia-apec 1552] In't Fact Finding Mission on Agrarian Reform in the Philippines

[BAYAN]

>From the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas 
(KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines)
kmp at quickweb.com.ph

NEWS ON THE INTERNATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON AGRARIAN REFORM IN THE
PHILIPPINES


Dear Friends, 

Greetings from the Philippines! 

Please find news clippings and pictures about the International Fact Finding
Mission to the Philippines jointly conducted by FIAN-International and La Via
Campesina at the KMP website located at the following URL: 

http//www.geocities.com/kmp_ph/strug/landreform/iffm.html

The fact-finding mission was held last August 18 and lasted till the 25th of
August. The mission held a press conference last August 28 where it publicly
announced the results of the fact-finding. The Philippines is the last leg of
the mission which has been already to Brazil, Columbia and Honduras. 

The mission members were composed of Mr. Armando Urquia of COCOCH- Honduras as
Via Campesina's representative, Mr. Michael Windfuhr, Executive Director of
FIAN-International, Mr.Trond Skerpeiteg of FIAN-Norway, Mr. Biplab Halim of
FIAN-India and the local member is Atty. Oscar Santos. 

The IFFM visited 18 areas in the three major islands - Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao and received 28 cases from the peasants and rural workers. The
mission
members were warmly received by the peasants who recounted various problems of
displacements, land grabbing, military harrassments, arrests/detentions and
the
ensuing hunger and poverty caused by the failure of the failure of land
reform.
The official and final report will be issued by the year end. 

Lastly, KMP joins the rest of the members of La Via Campesina in enjoining
social activists and militants and advocates of social justice and genuine
democracy to rally behind the call for support by FIAN-International and La
Via
Campesina to extend whatever assistance and help they could give to the life
and death struggle of the poor peasants and landless rural workers for genuine
agrarian reform. 

In solidarity, 

Lu Roque 
KMP-International Relations 
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