685th day of disappearance of James Balao?
To the new President Benigno Aquino III, the former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Philippines, mass media, trade unions and to the international democratic public, to the human rights organizations- please forward this email whereever and whenever you can to strengthen the international protest and solidarity movement for human rights in the Philippines, which people needs for their life in standing up to fight for a liberated world!
On the Monday Demonstration in Stuttgart, Germany, 9th of August 2010 we counted as it was decided by the Monday-Demonstration Movement Stuttgart in our partnership agreement between the Monday-Demonstration-Movement in Stuttgart and the family Balao and Cordillera People Alliance (CPA) of October 2008- the days of the disappearance of James Balao. Today it was the 685th day of the disappearance of James Balao.
While here in Stuttgart one demonstration follows the other ( on Saturday nearly 20 000 and on Monday something about 10 000 participants) and the next demonstration will be prepared as a chain of people round the mainstation of Stuttgart, we have to inform you about a sad letter of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance August 4, 2010. They wrote:
Dear Friends at the Monday Demonstration,
It is with heavy heart that we inform you that the father of missing CPA founding member James Moy Balao, Arthur Balao, passed away on August 2 after suffering from cancer of the kidneys which metastasized to his bones. His death comes barely two months after his wife Jane died last June 10. The abduction of James Balao by state agents on September 17, 2008 has caused Arthur and the rest of the Balao family with unimaginable suffering up to this day that James remains missing. Arthur has exerted all efforts and strength that he could muster in the search for his missing son, James. His never-ending hope and determination to see James one day has kept his family together in searching for James. As we pay tribute to a father who has been supportive and understanding of a son who bravely fought for indigenous peoples human rights amidst heightened political repression leading to his enforced disappearance, we shall continue to search for James. We appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to heed his words in upholding the people’s interests. We demand that the President take serious steps in surfacing James and prosecute those behind his enforced disappearance. At this time of great loss for the Balao family, we encourage messages of support for the family. You may send this through the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (cpa@cpaphils.org, abigail@cpaphils.org), the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (chra@cpaphils.org, chra.karapatan@gmail.com) and/or Joni Balao-Strugar, James’ sister (jonistrugar@yahoo.de). The Cordillera Peoples Alliance will formally pay tribute to Arthur Balao on August 5. The interment is scheduled on August 6.
It is with heavy heart that we inform you that the father of missing CPA founding member James Moy Balao, Arthur Balao, passed away on August 2 after suffering from cancer of the kidneys which metastasized to his bones. His death comes barely two months after his wife Jane died last June 10. The abduction of James Balao by state agents on September 17, 2008 has caused Arthur and the rest of the Balao family with unimaginable suffering up to this day that James remains missing. Arthur has exerted all efforts and strength that he could muster in the search for his missing son, James. His never-ending hope and determination to see James one day has kept his family together in searching for James. As we pay tribute to a father who has been supportive and understanding of a son who bravely fought for indigenous peoples human rights amidst heightened political repression leading to his enforced disappearance, we shall continue to search for James. We appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to heed his words in upholding the people’s interests. We demand that the President take serious steps in surfacing James and prosecute those behind his enforced disappearance. At this time of great loss for the Balao family, we encourage messages of support for the family. You may send this through the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (cpa@cpaphils.org, abigail@cpaphils.org), the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (chra@cpaphils.org, chra.karapatan@gmail.com) and/or Joni Balao-Strugar, James’ sister (jonistrugar@yahoo.de). The Cordillera Peoples Alliance will formally pay tribute to Arthur Balao on August 5. The interment is scheduled on August 6.
Thank you.
We send our warmest condolences to the whole family and all the friends far away….we can´t change the river of life, but we can strengthen our solidarity and our support for each other and we promise Mr. Arthur Balao at his grave, that we will never give up our common investigations to find James Balao. We will never give up the search for justice and peace against impunity and human rights violations!
On behalf the Monday Demonstration in Stuttgart, Germany