This baby is in jail, please help free her.
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
This is an urgent appeal that could save several lives, including that of a dear friend and my 1-year-old Goddaughter.
For 6 years I’ve been collaborating on films about climate change with Filipino activist Marissa Cabaljao. Last night Marissa and 4 other Human Rights Defenders were arrested during a raid by the Philippine National Police. They even took Marissa’s 1-year-old daughter, Malaya. Last Summer my wife and I became Malaya’s Godparents at her baptism. Today she is in a jail cell. This is a dire situation. Last year more environmentalists and land defenders we’re murdered in the Philippines than any other country in the world. The Philippines is one of the countries most impacted by climate change and many of those who organize in response to the crisis, also live fearing assassination.
International pressure can help protect these political prisoners and baby Malaya from further harm. Just 2 minutes of your time could save a life. Time is of the essence.
The more people that sign, the more emails will get sent to various senior members... of the Filipino government and Filipino Embassies around the world.
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Sadly, the Philippines wasn’t the only site of an unjust raid in the last 24 hours. In Wet’suwet’en territory (Northern BC) heavily armed RCMP officers are arresting Indigenous people and land defenders who have built a healing centre that blocks the route of the Coastal Gas Link pipeline. Premier John Horgan has said he is following the “rule of law” in reference to the injunction, but the legal picture surrounding the Coastal GasLink pipeline — which includes the Wet’suwet’en system of governance, a Supreme Court of Canada decision recognizing Wet’suwet’en title, and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples -- says otherwise.
In the summers of 2012 and 2013 I traveled to the Unist’ot’en Camp. The people there are peaceful. They are practicing their traditional ways of life and doing what needs to be done to fight climate change. During my time in Wet'suwet'en territory several people said that when they take a stand there, they are also standing for the people suffering the impacts of climate change in the Philippines.
Please stand with them:
Supporter Toolkit: http://unistoten.camp/supportertoolkit2020/
⭐List of Solidarity actions near YOU:
https://www.facebook.com/events/221856442184296/
⭐Legal Fund:
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/unistoten2020legalfund
Follow http://unistoten.camp for regular updates.
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Finally - in the spirit of solidarity - here is an image of “Wet’suwet’en” written in Baybayin (Ancient Filipino Indigenous script)
With ferocity and hope,
Sean
