It does not bode well for our democratic aspirations to roll out the red carpet for the head of an illegitimate government known for some of the world’s worst forms of human rights violations.

The State Visit is an implicit recognition of the military junta’s legitimacy, and sends a nod in the direction of that government’s repressive policies. Needless to say, the meeting between Arroyo and the Burmese Prime Minister is a diplomatic faux pas of extremely absurd proportions.

We are in the dark as to what makes the Arroyo government think that by sponsoring this state visit, Burma’s State Peace and Development Council will be willing to respect and abide by internationally-recognized standards of human rights?

Seven years ago, the military dictators agreed to the introduction of democratic reforms and the unconditional release of freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi as conditions for its accession into the ASEAN. Seven years after, there is no tangible proof to say that the military generals are moving in that direction.

Burma’s junta is fabled worldwide for its atrocities, not the least of which is the repression of workers’ rights to form unions and collectively bargain. Reports of forced labor and inhumane treatment of prisoners have not stopped coming from inside that country.

Year after year, thousands of activists are jailed in Burma. The press is stifled, restrictions extend to the simplest act of purchasing and using fax machines. The Internet is off-limits to everyone except government agents. And worst of all, the democratically elected government of the 1990 general elections are either in exile, under arrest and in prison, or dead. Its most prominent leader, Suu Kyi, continues to languish in house arrest.

The military junta ruling Burma of which Gen. Soe Win is head does not represent the genuine mandate of the Burmese people. The Philippines which always prides itself for its avowed commitment to democracy, and its sterling record of struggles against Marcos is now telling the world that this country is open for business with dictators.

This ‘constructive engagement’ policy of ASEAN as regards to Burma is headed nowhere. There ought to be a multilateral effort and pressure for the military junta in Yangoon to eventually step down and restore civilian authority. This is not to be helped with bilateral talks between the Philippines and Burma, especially not with trade on the agenda as well, as Malacañang has readily admitted.

The more business partners Burma finds, the more emboldened it becomes to stay put, keep its hold on power and walk all over the democratic rights of the Burmese people.

What President Arroyo should instead do is list down all the human rights violations the SPDC is charged with, demand a response, send Soe Win home, support calls for the cancellation of Burma’s chairmanship of ASEAN for 2006 and join the international community in calling for the military junta to step down.

Workers today stormed the senate grounds to press against the impending passage of the VAT hike bill.

“Does this mean our lawmakers are amenable to people living in the dark, eating food they can’t even cook? The cost of living in Metro Manila alone is already somewhere north of P500, and continues to rise, therefore, a VAT rate increase will only end up being paid for by workers as this regressive tax finds its way to products that are socially sensitive,” Edwin Bustillos, Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance of Progressive Labor, said.

“Poor people who already cannot afford basic goods will be forced to cough up even more and should prices of products like gas for cooking and electricity rates shoot up because of the 12% VAT rate and the subsequent lifting of exemptions from this regressive scheme, people will not be able to afford them anymore,” Bustillos explained.

“It is a sign of desperation and utter incompetence for the government to shore up its ailing finances by reaching deeper and deeper into the pockets of its citizens, as it makes no exceptions between rich and poor, and thus defeats the goal of an equitable taxation system,” Bustillos added.

The labor group asked the government to fix first the problems of collection before thinking up of raising the VAT rate and said that VAT’s supposed neutrality only works in advanced countries where collection and administration is efficient unlike in our country where our own context tells us that this policy only burdens consumers while it lets corrupt government officials get away with plunder.

APL demands the Senate to heed the workers call now before the poor majority will be virtually thrown back into the Dark Ages while calling on the people to stop VAT in its tracks and throw it instead into the dustbin of history.

We, the participants of the ILO-initiated MA Labor
Policies and Globalization course taking place in
Germany, express our outmost concern on the plight of
trade unionists in Nepal who are now in danger of
being detained or arrested following King Gyanendra’s
undemocratic dissolution of the Nepalese government
last 1 February 2005.

As trade unionists and members of labor movements in
our respective countries, we condemn in entirety the
repressive rule that led to the suspension of trade
union rights, detention and arrests of trade unionists
in Nepal. We also condemn the military violence in the
country, particularly towards the students and
civilians protesting against the Martial Law imposed
by the King to suppress civil liberties.

We therefore, call on the International Labor
Organization and other international labor
organizations to exert international pressure on the
King to restore the democratic processes in Nepal. We
urge the international community and all the working
peoples around the world to voice protest on the
violations of human rights and workers rights in
Nepal.

———

Cesar Costa de Araujo CUT Brazil

Svetlana Boincean Moldova

Nelly Botevska Bulgaria

Doreen Delreece Deane The Barbados Workers’ Union,
Barbados

Inez Lopes de Farias CUT Brazil

Maria del Carmen Gastelum Tapia Mexico

Euan William Gillespie Gibb CAW Canada

Dong-Gyun Han,FKMTU (Federation of Korean
Metalworkers Trade Unions) South Korea

Eustace Imoyera James, Nigeria Labour Congress,
Nigeria

Evilastus Kaaronda Namibia

Sven Krack Germany

Harald Krvck IGBCE Germany

Sophia Lim Malaysia

Siqi Luo China

Donna McGuire QIEU Australia

Hoang Mai Nguyen, Vietnam General Confederation of
Labour, Vietnam

Marinna Nyamekye, Ghana Trades Union Congress, Ghana

Sung Hee Park KCTU South Korea

Jt Portilho CUT Brazil

Wilfried Schwetz ver.di Germany

Verna Dinah Viajar LEARN-APL/GN-Asia, Philippines

Mina Vukojicic TUC Nezavisnost, Serbia

Gaye Yilmaz Turkey

Workers today continued their fight against the imposition of an increase in the value added tax rate from the current 10% to 12%.

The APL held a torch parade from Rodriguez Ave after holding a public forum on VAT and then marched towards the Boy Scout Circle in Morato.

“We vehemently condemn the move of the government to impose additional tax measures, which will only further our miseries especially the poor who will now have to bleed more for every centavo they need to make a living as we are entrenched deeper into extreme poverty,” Josua Mata, Secretary General of the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), said. “Unfortunately, with the senators-apologists of Malacañang actively campaigning for VAT, the Senate it seems is not doing a kinder version but a polished VAT measure that could be even worse than the House version,” Mata added.

Meanwhile, Edwin Bustillos, deputy secretary general of APL said, “The government loses around P40 billion in VAT revenues each year due to leakages. In 2004 alone, there was an estimated 59% collection gap in VAT, which clearly demonstrates that the problem still remains with tax collection and administration. So why not focus on that part of the problem?”

“The cost of living in Metro Manila alone is already somewhere north of P500, and continues to rise, therefore, a VAT rate increase will only end up being paid for by workers as this regressive tax finds its way to products that are socially sensitive,” Bustillos added.

APL staged a noise barrage to remind the public of the outrage that accompanied the proposal to increase the VAT rate, and that more people, they say, should express their disagreement with the policy.

The group vowed not to let this government get away with making its citizens and workers shell out more money to prop it up while the people don’t get what they deserve to get in return — a competent and transparent government.

February 10. 2005

Workers belonging to the Alliance of Progressive Labor stormed the senate today to hold a dragon dance to shoo away the bad spirits of anti-people legislation and the proposed bill increasing the VAT rate now pending approval in the Senate.

“Workers gather here today to reiterate in stronger terms our utmost objection to the increase in the VAT rate,” Edwin Bustillos, Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance of Progressive Labor, said.

“In 2004 alone, there was an estimated 59% collection gap in VAT, which clearly demonstrates that the problem still remains with tax collection and administration,” Bustillos added.

Meanwhile, Paul Teotico, APL-National Capital Region Chairperson said, “For as long as the government turns a blind eye to the inefficiencies and corruption that underlie the underperformance of its revenue generating agencies then no matter how much we increase the VAT we will still be facing a fiscal crisis.”

“The cost of living in Metro Manila alone is already somewhere north of P500, which kept on rising and therefore, a VAT rate increase will only end up being paid for by workers as this regressive tax finds its way to products that are socially sensitive” Teotico added.

According to the APL protestors, they brought along a dancing dragon to shoo away the bad spirits that may be shrouding the Senate that would lead our Senators to approve this bill. The group warned that if the dragon dance doesn’t work, then a different brand of luck will come down upon our Senators once we vote them out of office.