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Don't march against Pork

Discussion in 'Expat Section' started by Dave & Imp, Sep 17, 2013.

  1. Dave & Imp

    Dave & Imp DI Forum Patron Highly Rated Poster Showcase Reviewer

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    The bureau of Immigration warned Foreigners against marching versus pork. Just do not get too interested as the young Canadian student who did get mentioned in the article in the Inquirer did.
    Foreigners warned against marching vs pork | Inquirer Global Nation

    "Think twice before joining demonstrations in the country, the Bureau of Immigration on Monday warned foreigners, a few days after it deported a Canadian student arrested last week for joining a protest rally during President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address in July.
    The BI said it would arrest and deport foreign tourists caught joining protest rallies in the country, particularly demonstrations set against the pork barrel scam.
    “As we have repeatedly stated, foreigners have no business joining these rallies as the act amounts to violating the conditions of their stay as tourists,” BI OIC Commissioner Siegfred Mison said.
    The bureau has tapped the Philippine National Police to help monitor the foreigners in such mass actions.
    The BI said it was expecting more antipork rallies in the coming days.
    On Friday, immigration officials detained Canadian student Kim Chatillon-Meunier, who had been placed on the BI watch list for joining the protest rally during Mr. Aquino’s Sona in July.
    She was allowed to leave on Sunday after the bureau issued a “voluntary deportation and release order” to her.
    Another activist, Thomas van Beersum, was deported last month also for joining the Sona protest rallies outside Congress.
    The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and the human rights group Karapatan said Meunier took a direct flight to Vancouver, Canada, on Philippine Airlines at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
    The student thanked the two groups for their support in a text message: “I could never thank you enough for your help and I will always remember it,” she said.
    Canadian media earlier reported that Meunier’s boyfriend and fellow student Emile Kinley-Gauthier had also been in the Philippines but that he had left Manila on Aug. 1 without any hassle.
    Gauthier admitted that he and Meunier took part in the July 22 Sona rally but they were just “observing.”
    NUPL officials Edre Olalia and Julian Oliva said foreigners do not give up their basic rights, including the right to free speech, when they go to another country. The lawyers said Meunier was present in the rally only as an observer, and that she did not join the march nor did she speak in the rally.
    “They should not have stopped Ms. Meunier from leaving in the first place and put her behind bars like a hardened criminal for almost two days. This is plain harassment and unnecessary aggravation. Such casual arrest and detention is (part of a) martial law mindset and tactics,” the NUPL said.
    “Rather than deter foreigners from being genuinely concerned about the human rights and social conditions in the country whether as an academic exercise or as an advocacy, these incidents will trigger more questions on what the government is trying to hide,” Oliva said in a text message.
    Originally posted at 08:39 pm | Monday, September 16, 2013"

    This is just a heads up for all of us. I guess we can march against anything but pork. Since I did not plan to march against anything here, it really does not bother me. It did light enough of a fire under my butt to make me consider writing my US Congressman and Senators suggesting they investigate where the money that is sent to the Philippines really goes. That would probably be more effective (even though it would probably be almost totally ineffective) than marching in a country that has been on a “pork diet” for decades, with a large serving of denial on the side.

    Remember we are guests, we may have no freedom of speech I guess unless spoken to.
     
  2. Manzanita

    Manzanita DI Forum Patron

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    Just a quick reality injection here....
    The US Congress and Senate know exactly where the money and aid sent to the Philippines and other countries goes...
    It goes to keep rulers friendly towards American business interests in power.
     
  3. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    I am curious as to what they would consider "observation". If I was stuck in traffic held up by the protest and angrily observed them blocking my way, could I be asked to leave the country. What if a protest is near your residence and you're only trying to get home? Could the police snatch you up?
     
  4. fundiver198

    fundiver198 DI Forum Adept

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    Great job Bureau Of Immigration to help paint a picture of the Philippines around the world as:

    a) Still being a military dictatorship only mildly disquised as a democracy.
    b) Still being one of the most corrupt countries in the world with no willingness whatsoever to clean it up.

    Great job, well done.
     
  5. Rye83

    Rye83 with pastrami Admin Secured Account Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Army

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    Shhh, they might have you deported for saying that. I believe there is actually something in the rule book for tourists/expats that says you can't speak poorly about the government. Better hope they don't start checking the internet.
     
  6. fundiver198

    fundiver198 DI Forum Adept

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    I am not in the Philippines currently. But you are right. I should better zip my mouth, or I will probably be denied entry, when I show up at NAIA next time. Ha ha.

    Like Dave I did not really plan on participating in rallys against anything here, which my country also warn its citizens against in general. But like Dave I do find it quite "interesting", that authorities here choose to see a few young foreigners participating in the public protests against corruption as the main problem, and not the corruption itself.

    Its a bit disproportional to say the least. And thats probably as nice, as I am able to put it.
     
  7. denpet

    denpet DI Senior Member Highly Rated Poster Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    But, it clearly shows the importance of foreigners, if 1 million people protesting is not an issue, but one foreigner is :D
     
  8. fundiver198

    fundiver198 DI Forum Adept

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    In the debate about the article on the homepage, where it was originally posted, someone made the following statement and has until now received 18 likes, which is the highest of any post in the thread:

    "Well, let us see, if a foreigner joins or only watches a protest rally then BI is running full gear and bringing down on this hapless person the full might and power of the department. A good chance for some grand standing.

    But when some guy, for example a member of the senate or an ex-governor sought for killing a journalist or.. or.. or.. or.. is on the run, then the Bureau of Immigration is clueless and doesn´t know what to do."

    And it does kind of say it all, doesn`t it? Some posters express the view, that visitors should not get involved in rallys, because its none of their business. But the majority or posts and likes are decidedly against the actions of BI.
     
  9. fundiver198

    fundiver198 DI Forum Adept

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    I have now read some of the previous news articles about this young Canadian student. And it seems, that there is quite more to the story, than appear from this latest article and the statements made by BI.

    First she was not apprehended at the rally but 3 weeks later, when she was actually trying to leave the country. She was apprehended in the airport, because she had been put on the BI watch list.

    Now obviouly she was not put on the BI Watch list, because she participated in a rally. Because there is no way authorities can know, who participated in a rally, unless they apprehend them at the site. And if she had been apprehended at the site, then obviously there would be no need to put her on a watch list. Then she would be in their custody already. So the statement:

    "who had been placed on the BI watch list for joining the protest rally during Mr. Aquino’s Sona in July."

    is simply a lie. It can logically not be true. So why WAS she placed on the BI watch list then? And why was she apprehended in the airport, when she was already trying to leave the country and could therefore also not do any more "harm" to the RP anyway? If they just wanted her out, then why prevent her from leavning? That makes no sence.

    The answer dawns, when you read the older articles about the case. She had reportly participated in some kind of political convention or camp in the Quezon province. Or to put it another way: She had met with some people, who the government doesn`t like, and who they are watching closely.

    So who are those people, that the government dislikes so much, that they are watching them closely enough to know, they have met with a particular canadian student? In reality we will never know. The goverment will probably claim, that they are "terrorists" connected to the NPA. And maybe they are. But maybe they aren`t. Because clearly the government has a tendency to see all politically active people, human rights activists etc. as being part on NPA. Which is a very convenient excuse for not respecting their constitutional rights and suppress any critical views on, what the goverment is doing.

    It is comforting to know, that the BI did not just round up some random foreigner, who happened to be present at a time and place, where a rally was taking place, and kick her out of the country. But on the other hand, digging deeper into the story raise many other questions. Like why BI is sending out a loud public message, they did just that, when its actually not the case?
     
  10. denpet

    denpet DI Senior Member Highly Rated Poster Blood Donor Veteran Air Force

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    Hacienda Luisita
     
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