Laws, Labels and Liberation (Revisited)
March 16, 9:30AM – 4:30PM
Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Communique

16 March 2008

Responding to the call to “expose and oppose the labeling of movements for national and social liberation as terrorist organizations” over 40 people came together at the Vancouver Public Library in Downtown Vancouver, Canada to discuss and strategize on March 16, 2008.

The conference was called by the participation organizations of the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS) in Vancouver, who were joined by the La Surda Latin American Collective and local activists with the Free Ahmed Sa’adat and John Graham Defense campaigns in organizing the meeting.  

In the morning session, the case of Professor Jose Maria Sison was examined as a case study of how the terrorist labeling is being used to persecute immigrants, migrants and refugees who support the cause of national and social liberation in their homelands.  In his introduction to the session Professor Hari Sharma explained that the case of Professor Sison is important not only on its own merits but also because it exemplifies the treatment of thousands of others around the world who have suffered imprisonment, persecution and torture as a consequence of their determination to continue the struggle national and social liberation in the face of intensifying imperialist attacks.

Professor Sison gave an update on his case by video link from the Netherlands.  He explained that despite recent victories in the Dutch courts and the European Court of First Instance (ECFI) the Dutch State and Council of the European Union continue to recycle spurious and discredited charges to persecute him with criminal charges and terrorist labeling.  He spoke of a Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolution which raises serious questions about the legality of the blacklisting regime and emphasized the need to continue to call for his removal, along with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army from the terrorist listings. 

Finally, Professor Sison encouraged the conference participants to develop “a campaign to expose and oppose the terrorist blacklist and other strategies of the Canadian state to undermine the solidarity and support for people’s struggles for national and social liberation and persecute immigrants, refugees and progressives who continue to struggle for liberation and a new world.” 

Following Professor Sison, Ning Alcuitas, the Western Chairperson of the Philippines-Task Force on Human Rights and a practicing lawyer, gave a background on the emergence of the Canadian list of designated “terrorist” organizations.  She explained that the Canadian terrorist list closely follows the U.S. list and has little foundation in international law.  The definition of terrorism in the Canadian legislation is broad and vague and has been used to criminalize immigrants and communities of colour in Canada.

The afternoon portion of the conference focused on the impact of the terrorist designation on movements for national and social liberation in different countries and communities.

Billie Pierre, an organizer with the Native Youth Movement and John Graham Defense, talked about the long history of political repression and persecution of Indigenous people in the colonial states of Canada and the United States.  She pointed out that new anti-terrorism legislation has been used against indigenous organizers and activists in particular.  She drew parallels with the COINTELPRO which was used to undermine, divide and criminalize movements of oppressed people in the U.S. and Canada.  Pierre emphasized the legacy of murdered American Indian Movement leader Anna Mae Aquash, and political prisoners Leonard Peltier and John Graham.

Roberto Carrasco, a community activist with solidarity ties to Cuba and Latin America gave a historical background on Colombia and Latin America, explaining that in the context of U.S. imperialism and reactionary local regimes revolutionary armed struggle has historically been the only option open peasants and workers in Latin America seeking social and economic justice.  Carrasco asserted that in Colombia the areas controlled by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and ELN (Army of National Liberation) enjoy more stability, more effective government and more greater economic and social equality than the areas which remain under the U.S. backed Uribe regime. 

Palestinian activist Khaled Barakat spoke of the terrorist designations as an attempt to separate oppressed people from their national liberation struggles by increasing repressive measures like targeted assassinations of movement leaders and political, more political prisoners, and creating a climate of fear within migrant and immigrant communities. Barakat called on oppressed communities to unite against terrorist designations that target people’s struggles for national and social liberation across the globe.

The last panel presenter, BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines vice-chair Jon Nieto explained the Filipino struggle for national and social liberation in terms of a struggle against imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism.  He demonstrated how the U.S.-backed Arroyo regime is using the cover of the ‘war on terrorism’ and the listing of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army as ‘terrorist’ organizations to justify mass violations of human rights with over 850 cases of extra-judicial killings under the Arroyo regime, and many more cases of kidnappings, political corruption and intimidation.  Nieto finished by affirming support for “all forms of struggle and the right of choice for National Democracy with the goal for a just and lasting peace.”

The final portion of the conference was spent strategizing, with participants resolving to continue to educate within their communities about the unjust terrorist labelling; to create a declaration based on the unity achieved at the conference; and to call for a national conference and a national day of action to advance the call to scrap the terrorist list, break the climate of fear, and defend the right to struggle for national and social liberation.#

For photos of Laws, Labels and Liberation (Revisited): A conference to expose and oppose the labeling of movements for national and social liberation as terrorist organizations, please visit: https://ilps2005.tripod.com/photos/08/lll_revisited_ilps_vancouver_16mar08.htm