by Committee DEFEND, 31 October 2002
Utrecht, The Netherlands – The inclusion of Jose Ma. Sison in the list of the European Union of so-called “foreign terrorist persons, groups and entities” is a further violation of his democratic rights, criminalizes him as a terrorist without due process, and defames and endangers his life and liberty. The new EU listing (which included the New People´s Army, but not the Communist Party of the Philippines) gravely imperils the peace negotiations between the Manila government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Thus stressed NDFP chief political consultant Prof. Jose Ma. Sison and NDFP peace panel chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni, in an emergency press conference held in Utrecht today after the European Union released the updated list (dated 28 October 2002) of persons, groups and entities that are to be considered “terrorists”.
Prof. Sison said the inclusion of the NPA and his name to the EU list is an indication that the EU presidency has bowed down to pressures from Washington. He said the new list indicates that the EU has also followed the line of the US with regards the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.
He said that the NDFP leadership in the Philippines would find it untenable to continue with the peace negotiations if their negotiators, consultants and staff are put under duress with threats to their liberty and person.
Prof. Sison told reporters that the US wants the peace talks to collapse and intensify the civil war in the Philippines. He also cited information appearing in the Internet putting his life in danger as a result of the listing.
NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni, for his part said the consequences of this new EU list are prejudicial to the continuation of the peace negotiations. Prof. Sison said that the European listing generates the climate for his extradition and the ultimate scuttling of the peace negotiations.
Sison said he and his lawyers have filed a civil rights case in the Netherlands against the listing in the Netherlands, and at the same time another battery of his lawyers are set to challenge the European listing before the European High Court in Luxembourg.
Jalandoni said that the Committee DEFEND would continue to spearhead the campaign for the defense of the democratic rights of Prof. Sison and other progressive Filipinos.
Committee DEFEND has been campaigning for worldwide support for Prof. Sison and has been raising funds for his legal defense.
Committee DEFEND
Postbus 15687, 1001 ND Amsterdam
Tel: 030-2368722
Fax: 030-2322989
Email: defenddemrights@yahoo.com
