#stopthelumadkillings

[anakbayaneastbay]

Rice Not Bullets! Bigas Hindi Bala! Justice for the Victims of the Kidapawan Massacre!

For Immediate Release

Reference: Nicole Manzana, Anakbayan East Bay, Chairperson

On the morning of April 1st, 2016 a group of 5,000 farmers and community members staged a peaceful protest in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. As a result of El Nino and climate change, this region has been in a state of severe drought which has led affected community members to join forces to demand immediate relief and aid from the Philippine government.

While community members called for 15,000 sacks of rice and calamity funds, both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) instead opened fire into the crowd which killed 5, injured 100, and led to 87 missing (including children) which are believed to be abducted by the police and soldiers to unknown destinations.

Anakbayan East Bay strongly condemns the violent attacks on the farmers and indigenous peoples of the North Cotabato region. “The Philippine government and the police are criminal for opening fire against community members simply asking for food, aid and relief. Shame on the Philippine government because three years after Typhoon Haiyan, they are still ill equipped to serve the needs of the masses affected by climate change. They are withholding relief goods and making the lives of people most affected secondary to corporate profits and development,” stated Nicole Manzana, Chairperson of Anakbayan East Bay.

The US Congress recently increased military aid to the Philippines to $66 million dollars financed by the pockets of US taxpayers. Anakbayan East Bay calls on US taxpayers to spread awareness and demand stop supporting the Aquino government that continues to increase human rights violations and mass bloodshed against farmers and indigenous peoples!  We call on the immediate distribution of relief to the farmers for their livelihood and not bullets that lead to their deaths! We demand genuine agrarian reform and a government that clearly uplifts the rights and needs of the people!

Justice for the North Cotabato farmers!

Bigas hindi bala! Rice not bullets!

Stop Lumad killings!

Fight for genuine agrarian reform!

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BAYAN USA’s ACTION CALLS:

Take Action NOW to Demand Accountability for Police and Military Violence Against Farmers and Indigenous People Protesting the Government’s Withholding of Food Aid!

PROTEST: At the Philippine Embassy or local Philippine Consulates

CALL: the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC to protest the violent dispersal and killing of peaceful protesters, demand accountability, and demand the immediate release of food aid to farmers. Call, Office of the Philippine Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Tel: 202.467.9366

WRITE: President Aquino to register your condemnation of the violence of state forces against farmers and indigenous people.  Cc members of the U.S. Congress Appropriations Committee.

EDUCATE: Conduct activities to educate the community about this issue and to urge them to take action

HOST: a delegation of Lumad indigenous people from Mindanao is coming to the U.S. from April – May. Host a speaking engagement for them to educate more members of your community about the issues of indigenous people. Contact vc@bayanusa.org for more information.

*A YouCaring site has also been set up for donations. Please spread widely to your contacts!