James Balao: 1000 Days of Disappearance
Dear Friends,
Greetings of peace and justice!
June 12, 2011 marks the 1,000 days of James Moy Balao’s enforced disappearance. James is a founding member of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance and a member of the Ibaloi and Kankanaey indigenous peoples. His works include researches on indigenous peoples’ collective right to ancestral land and self-determination. He is also the President of the Oclupan Clan in Benguet province here in the Cordillera region. To date, James has not been surfaced, and both his parents passed away last year without seeing him returned safely to his family and colleagues.
In this regard, as we mark 1,000 days of untiring search for James, we enjoin all human rights advocates to send postcards to President Benigno Aquino III with the call to immediately surface James and all the disappeared. Thousands of postcards will be sent on June 12 to the President with simultaneous submissions from all-over the country and overseas. We encourage you and your organizations to conduct parallel actions as part of the postcards submission.
Copies of the postcards can be requested from the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance and Cordillera Peoples Alliance. For information/inquiries contact the secretariat at chra.karapatan@gmail.com and 09189199007.
Thank you for your unending support and solidarity!
Sincerely,
Joni Balao-Struggar Winston Balao Nonette Balao
Jude Baggo Windel Bolinget
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance Cordillera Peoples Alliance