[ Redistributed on NATIVE-L / soc.culture.native with permission --Gary ]
EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: ASA 35/13/93
Distr: UA/SC
UA 269/93 Extrajudicial Execution 11 August 1993
PHILIPPINES: William Rom, tribal activist
Amnesty International is deeply concerned at the killing of William
Rom, head of the Research and Documentation Desk of
SILDAP-Sidlakan, a tribal support group based in Butuan City,
Mindanao. This information reached Amnesty recently. It is the
second time in six months that a tribal activist engaged in non-violent
activities has been killed by members of the Citizen Armed
Geographical Unit (CAFGU), an official militia used by the military in
counter-insurgency operations. (The other tribal activist, who was killed
in February 1993, was Chris Batan. See Urgent Action 49/93, ASA
35/02/93, of 26 February 1993.) In the last eighteen months alone
Amnesty International has documented evidence of CAFGU
involvement in 41 extrajudicial executions throughout the Philippines.
The murder occurred on 17 July 1993 in Katikuyan, Surigao del Norte
as William Rom and Carolina Salas, also a SILDAP-Sidlakan worker,
were on their way back to Butuan City after conducting a research
appraisal among the Mamanwa tribal community. After following
them for a short time four CAFGU members approached William
Rom and Carolina Salas and accused them of belonging to the New
People's Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the
Philippines (CPP). Despite being told that the two workers had simply
been evaluating a 7-year-old Literacy and Socio-Economic Project in
Katikuyan the CAFGUs attacked them with machetes, killing William
Rom and slashing Carolina Salas' cheek. Carolina Salas subsequently
managed to escape.
Amnesty International deplores the extrajudicial execution of William
Rom, and the attack on Carolina Salas. It calls on the Philippine
Government to conduct an immediate, thorough and impartial
investigation of the killing and to bring the suspected perpetrators
promptly to justice. It also urges the government to take immediate
steps to guarantee the basic human rights of all members of tribal
communities in the Philippines.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
SILDAP-Sidlakan is a non-governmental organization working on
behalf of tribal communities in Northeastern Mindanao. Beside the
Literacy and Socio- Economic Project mentioned above, the
organization also maintains health, research and publication programs
for the Mamanwa tribal community in Surigao. Organizations
established to defend tribal community interests have often been
labelled by the military as fronts for the CPP/NPA and leaders or
members of these organizations have become the victims of
extrajudicial execution, "disappearance" and other violations.
The forces deployed by the government against the NPA and other
armed opposition groups have included the Philippine National Police,
the Philippine Army and the official militia, the CAFGU. Despite
considerable evidence of CAFGU involvement in human rights
violations a leading military official said in August 1992 that military
training of CAFGU members had "corrected" this problem and the
government proposed a substantial budgetary increase for the CAFGU
in 1993.
Evidence compiled by Amnesty International however, contradicts these
claims. Between August 1992 and August 1993 the organization has
learned of 41 extrajudicial executions. In 19 of the 41 cases CAFGU
members are reported to have carried out the killings. This indicates
that judicial and institutional measures to protect human rights have
had little impact on the behaviour of CAFGU members. In May 1993
a senior military official announced that the CAFGU would be
disbanded, possibly within one year. Amnesty International has
repeatedly urged the government to dismantle the CAFGU as soon as
possible, and in view of continuing reports of CAFGU involvement in
the perpetration of human rights violations is again calling for its
immediate disbandment.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send
telegrams/telexes/faxes/express and airmail letters either in English or
in your own language:
- expressing concern that William Rom was killed on 17 July 1993 by
members of the Citizen Armed Geographical Unit (CAFGU);
- calling for an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation of the
killing and for the perpetrators to be brought promptly to justice;
- asking to be kept informed of the progress of any such investigation;
- urging the government to take immediate steps to guarantee the
basic human rights of all members of the tribal communities in the
Philippines;
- reiterating calls by Amnesty International for the government to take
immediate steps to dismantle the CAFGU.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:
President Fidel V. Ramos [Salutation: Dear President Ramos]
Malacanang Palace
Manila, Philippines
Telegrams: President Ramos Malacanang, Philippines
Faxes: + 632 832 7795 (via Dept. of Foreign Affairs)
+ 632 731 1325 (via Press Secretary)
Telexes: 40414 Malcom PN; 45618 RMC PM; 63370 PRES PN;
82361 PU
General Lisandro Abadia [Salutation: Dear General Abadia]
AFP Chief of Staff
Camp Aguinaldo Quezon City
Telegrams: Chief of Staff Abadia Quezon City, Philippines
Faxes: + 632 832 3793 (via Dept. of Foreign Affairs)
Sedfrey Ordonez [Salutation: Dear Mr Ordonez]
Chairman
Commission on Human Rights
Integrated Bar of the Philippines Blg
Dona Julia Vargas Avenue
Pasig 1600, Manila
Philippines
Telegrams: Chairman Ordonez Human Rights Commission
Manila, Philippines
Faxes: +632 631 6449
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF APPEALS TO: Embassy of Philippines,
9a Palace Green, London W8 4QE. Fax: 071 937 2925
[Please see the responses to this topic for the addresses
of diplomatic representatives in other countries]
AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO THE FOLLOWING:
newspapers:
The Editor
Mindanao Life
Blk 13 Opal Street
SM Village
Bangkal, Davao City, Philippines
The Editor
Mindanao Mirror Bulletin
270 R Magsaysay Avenue
Davao City, Philippines
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send
appeals after 23 September 1993.
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
+ If you have any queries about this Urgent Action or about +
+ the UA scheme in general, please contact: +
+ Ray Mitchell +
+ Amnesty International British Section +
+ 99 - 119 Rosebery Avenue +
+ London EC1R 4RE email: gn:rmitchellai +
+-----------------------------------------------------------+