OPPOSE THE CAMPAIGN OF REPRESSION AGAINST KA JOEMA SISON!
Statement of Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson, Communist Party of the Philippines
September 22, 2002
The Communist Party of the Philippines condemns the intensifying campaign of repression against Comrade Jose Maria Sison and NDFP personnel based in The Netherlands.
First came the freeze order on the Sisons' joint current account where the Dutch government has been depositing the small allowance it has been providing their family in accordance with its recognition of Ka Joema's status as a political refugee since 1992. This was followed by the suspension of government subsidies for housing and health care. The latest blow consisted of stripping Ka Joema of his political refugee status on September 16, a step towards treating him like an ordinary criminal.
All these measures come in the wake of the Dutch government's acquiescence to the US request to put pressure on Ka Joema and NDFP personnel following the US' arbitrary and baseless classification of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army as terrorist organizations.
Beyond this, Ka Joema is in danger of being forcibly arrested by the US government and brought to the US to stand trial under the brutal and ruthless US Patriot Act and in accordance with the Guidelines on Human Rights and Fighting Terrorism issued by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
To imbue this move with a seemingly legal basis, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime is likewise set to file trumped-up rebellion charges against Ka Joema to provide the US with a rationale for requesting his extradition from The Netherlands government.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and the entire revolutionary movement strongly condemn the US for including the CPP-NPA on its list of foreign terrorist organizations and pushing European governments to follow its policy of repression against NDFP personnel in Europe. The CPP likewise condemns the puppet Macapagal-Arroyo government for joining the conspiracy of repression against Ka Joema.
In applying pressure on Ka Joema, who has been a great help in advancing the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the NDFP, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime has no other purpose but to put an end to the peace talks and give full vent to the counterrevolutionary war against the CPP, NPA and the entire Filipino people. The US will likewise be provided with additional rationale for launching direct military intervention in the Philippines.
These are all part of the US' overall objective of crushing anyone who aims to put an end to imperialist exploitation, oppression and brutality that condemn millions of people worldwide to a life of abject poverty and suffering.
It is the height of absurdity to brand as terrorist Ka Joema and others like him who dare to arouse and organize the oppressed peoples of their respective countries against US imperialism and its puppet regimes.
US imperialism is unequivocally the biggest terrorist because its policy of inciting wars and other disorders in the world to save the US economy from crisis and satisfy its greed for superprofits brings death to millions of peoples around the globe. Is this not what the US is now doing to Iraq?
The truth is evident. US imperialism is spreading lies about Ka Joema to cover up its heinous record.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and the entire revolutionary movement call on the Filipino people to oppose in various ways the intensified attacks and campaign of repression being perpetrated by the US government and its puppet, the Macapagal-Arroyo government, against those who wage legitimate struggles for the advancement of the people's rights and welfare. Once the US and its puppet regime are allowed to have their way, Ka Joema will not be the last victim of such suppression.
In particular, we also call on the government of The Netherlands not to deprive Ka Joema of his rights, on just and humanitarian grounds, and not to bow to pressure from US imperialism. We call on The Netherlands government to join the growing ranks of countries the world over that are able to meticulously discern US imperialism's selfish interests and dare to resist the US' desire to run roughshod over the sovereignty of any country in the world.
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