[asia-apec 1037] BAYAN warns of witch hunt with peace talks suspension

[BAYAN]

NEWS RELEASE
26 February 1999

BAYAN warns of witch hunt with peace talks suspension

THE MILITANT Bagong Alyansang Makabayan today warned that President Joseph
Estrada's supension of the peace talks would pave the way for more human
rights abuses and a possible crackdown on groups and individuals tagged as
sympathizers of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

"President Estrada's announcement is dangerous to many cause-oriented
groups, NGOs and individuals who have been identified by the military as
sympathetic to the NDF. They may be subjected to witch hunts and other
forms of harrasment by overzealous military and police agents who view the
suspension as a license for them to go back to their martial law ways,"
said Bayan Deputy Secretary General Teodoro A. Casiño.

"The military and police are  not known to discriminate between the
underground revolutionary organizations like the NDF and groups involved in
the open, legal mass movement. Many leaders of perfectly legitimate
people's organizations and NGOs have, in the past, been victims of the
military's anti-insurgency operations," said Casiño.

Bayan said the most vulnerable to human rights abuses and harrassments
are groups and individuals based in the countryside, where military operations
against the Communist-led rebellion continue. 

"Police and military personnel in the countryside are fond of labelling
whole communities and families as NPA sympathizers. They will most likely
imitate President Estrada's macho posturings on innocent community
organizers, leaders and groups critical of the government," said Casiño.

Bayan reiterated its call on the government to resume the peace talks "so
that the roots of the rebellion can be addressed without resorting to more
military operations, bombings and human rights abuses." 

Cause-oriented organizations point out that peace negotiations must not be
set aside "especially in these times of crisis." ####


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	 B A Y A N
	 Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or New Patriotic Alliance
	 No. 23 Maamo Street, Sikatuna Village
	 Quezon City, PHILIPPINES							      	
	 Telephone: (63-2) 435-9151       Telefax: (63-2) 922-5211
	 Email:   <bayan at iname.com>
	 Bayan webpage URL:                                 
	 http://www.bigfoot.com/~bayan-phils 	      	
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