To the 52nd birthday of James Balao 1 677th day of his disappearance
To president Benigno Aquino III,to 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 Mondaydemonstration against the unsocial law Hartz 4 we continue our vigil for James Balao in Stuttgart on the 22nd of April 2013. We counted – as it was decided in October 2008 in the partnership agreement between the Monday-Demonstration Movement Stuttgart and the family Balao and Cordillera People Alliance (CPA) – the days of the disappearance of James Balao.
Today we remembered with a touching little action on his 52nd birthday at the last Friday, the 19th of April. Some participants demanded on little banner Stop the killings in the Philippines! Last Fryday friends in the Philippines made as well a memorial-action in some towns and cities
in the Philippines.
A friend read in Stuttgart a text in memoriam to James ( you find it in pdf format in the annex in German and in English)
Is the 1677th day of your
enforced disappearance:
Days of sorrow,
years of protest ,
years of searching for you.
We still do not know,
where you are,
if you are still alive,
if you are tortured
or if they killed you cowardly
as they do it with so many freedom fighters
in the Philippines and worldwide.
We do not forget you.
You have been 47 years old,
as you was abducted
by five state security agents
made in USA
in the sunny morning of
September 17, 2008 in La Trinidad, North Luzon.
They took you to the Philippine National Police
Headquarters Camp Dangwa.
Since that time we are searching for you.
We count the days of your disappearance
even far away of you in Stuttgart, Germany.
Since that time your Mam and your Dad died
without hugging you again.
They claim you as a “terrorist”.
But you protected the ancestral heritage of the indigenous people
against open pit mining by the multinational monopolies.
Their economy of profit destroys air, water and life.
Your mountains looks like a big wounded skin of Pacha Mama,
crying in pain and anger for freedom.
Since that time they prepare again wars
made in USA in rivalry to China
for oil, gaz and gold.
Since Aquino III is President (2010),
137 activists are
extrajudicial killed and
14 were enforced disappeared like you,James.In their prisons there are more than 576 activists jailed.
Since that time they talk still about human rights.
But in reality they terrorize the people
and want to mislead and to derail the continuing search for James.
On your 52nd birthday we demand for
the complete truth and for the stop of impunity.
Our fight goes on
demanding for James Balao’s
immediate and unconditional surfacing,
until we know what happened with him in reality.
The Madres de Placo Mayo in Buenos Aires
demand since more than 30 years justice and truth.
But we know with Pablo Neruda:
“They are able to destroy one flower,
but they can´t destroy the spring!”