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[English]: Thousands march in Manila to demand human rights in the GFMD
[español]: Miles marchan en Manila para exigir derechos humanos en el FGMD
[français]: Milles marchen à Manille pour exiger les droits humains au FMMD

[English]

No. MRI/GFMD2008/22
MRI/COMM/2008/006 29 October 2008 ENGLISH

Re: Thousands march in Manila to demand human rights in the GFMD

Dear friends,

On Monday, 27 October 2008, thousands of civil society members marched in Manila to express their opposition to the GFMD's lack of consideration for the human rights of migrants. According to Jessie Dimaisip, this was one of the largest pro-migration rallies to take place ever in Manila, with estimates of between 4,000 and 4,500 participants from a wide array of civil society organizations.

The march, spearheaded by the Solidarity Action of Labor Against the GFMD (SALAG) and international trade unions, was one of a series of mobilizations organized as part of the Peoples' Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights (PGA), an independent parallel event being held from 22 to 30 October 2008.

The march started at Bonifacio Park, and proceeded toward the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), the location of the GFMD proceedings, where the "official Civil Society Days" of the GFMD were being held. Protesters sought to deliver a joint statement regarding the need to revise the current state-centered framework of the conference, and to include further participation of migrants and migrants' rights associations in both the preparation of the forum and during its proceedings. However, they were aware that they would not be allowed to come even close to the official venue, as Philippine authorities had established an extraordinarily large security perimeter around it. Philippine authorities had also suddenly revoked the permit for the march days before, despite having approved the permit in June.

Police were waiting long before the aspired destination in order to deter the march from "disrupting" the "official" Civil Society Days of the forum. After being stopped, marchers held a rally in which speakers urged the crowd to remain strong in their defense of migrants' rights. Singers and dancers performed in dedication to the human dignity of migrants. Protesters were able to present a statement to the president of the International Confederation of Trade Unions, Sharan Burrow, who served as chair for the official GFMD Civil Society Days. Burrow, as well as a number of other civil society representatives who had been one of the few to be selected to participate in the Civil Society Days, had left the secure premises of the official event in order to meet the march. Burrow and others spoke in support of civil society demands.

To view pictures from the march and other PGA events, please see:

http://picasaweb.google.com/migrantsrightsinternational

Best wishes,

Migrants Rights International

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