Statement

Filipinos in Canada stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon! Heighten our unity against imperialist war and plunder!

July 22, 2006

As overseas Filipino workers, women and youth in Canada, we stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon as they brace themselves against the ruthless U.S.-backed Israeli bombardment that they have been withstanding this past week and against the possibility of invasion.

The brutal bombings over the past eight days has resulted in the death of at least 320 people and has left thousands injured – their lives and livelihood forever disrupted by foreign aggressors.

As peace and freedom-loving Filipinos in Canada we express our utter disgust and condemnation of such callous attacks on civilians and against a sovereign nation.

We join the people of the world who see past the Israeli excuse of bombarding Lebanon to rescue captured Israeli soldiers as a pretext for trying to suppress and destroy the people of Lebanon’s struggle for a just peace. A struggle that directly threatens U.S. and Israeli interests in the Middle East.

The U.S.’ goal is to establish dominance in the Middle East, using Israel, in the hope of controlling the vast oil resources of the region. The Lebanonese people’s stand against Israel and for the Palestinian people’s struggle for self-determination has brought them the ire and violent reprisal of the U.S. and Israel.

The U.S.-backed Israeli attacks has also impacted our fellow overseas Filipino workers. There are around 30,000 overseas Filipino workers in Lebanon. Like our community, these 30,000 Filipino workers were forced to work and live abroad because of the Philippines’ backward and U.S.-dominated economy and rotten ruling system that has left our people with little chance for survival in our own homeland. Now, our fellow overseas Filipinos in Lebanon are stranded because of the Philippine government’s neglect, irresponsibility and indifference to plight of Overseas Filipino Workers.

The current Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has also launched her own all-out war against peace-loving and progressive people. Last month, Arroyo declared an all-out war against the revolutionary forces of the New People’s Army and Communist Party of the Philippines – vowing to crush this national liberation movement in two years. This declaration of all-out war has left over 700 civilians – all leaders or supporters of the legal national democratic struggle – dead.

Therefore, as Filipinos in Canada, we recognize the urgent need to stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and all the progressive and freedom-loving people around the world to heighten our unity against unjust imperialist wars and plunder!

Statement of:

Filipino Nurses Support Group
SIKLAB-Vancouver (Advance the Rights and Welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers)
Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance-Vancouver
Philippine Women Centre of British Columbia