Human rights groups put on terror lists
Washington Times
October 15, 2007
By Shaun Waterman
U.S. labor and human rights advocates were placed on a terrorist watch list by the Philippine government, and barred entry to the country earlier this year.
Among 504 "personalities with al Qaeda/Taliban links" placed on immigration watch lists July 25-26 were 69 Americans, according to a Philippine government order dated Aug. 14 that removed them. The same watch list had been distributed several months earlier.
But according to U.S. human rights groups who have surveyed the lists, the Americans on it include advocacy groups with no connection to terrorism. Human Rights Watch said the names included representatives of such U.S. organizations as Church World Service, the Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society, and the National Lawyers Guild, as well as labor groups.
Brian Campbell, an attorney with the U.S.-based International Labor Rights Forum whose name appears on the list, called the list part of the Philippine government's efforts to isolate labor and human rights groups in the country from their international allies and "quash or silence any criticism."
Mr. Campbell said the issue had been raised with both the Philippine Embassy and the U.S. State Department.
"Many people [on the list] are very concerned," he said. In an era when nations share more information about terrorism, he said people were asking "will they suddenly find they cannot travel to other countries as well?"
Philippine Embassy spokesman Gines Gallaga said the 504 names had been added to the watch lists over security concerns about two Manila meetings of the Association of South East Asian Nations — a heads of government meeting in January and a ministerial summit in August.
On both occasions, Mr. Gallaga said, the watch list had been used to reflect Philippine "concerns, as the host country, for security," but also for "the smooth conduct of the summit."
"There was concern about protests," he added, though he could not explain why the names had been linked to al Qaeda.
"We are still waiting for clarification on that point from Manila," he said.
A State Department official said "the list was rescinded in August, and we have no reason to believe it will be reinstated."
Sam Zarifi of Human Rights Watch said the group was "not convinced by the assurances" from the State Department and the embassy.
"Our sense is that this list is something they have. And sometimes they use it, and sometimes they don't," he said.
On July 26, the day the names were added for the second time, the Bureau of Immigration, the agency in Manila that enforces the watch lists, warned that foreigners taking part in "political activities" were subject to arrest and summary deportation. Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said "foreigners have no business joining rallies here as it is tantamount to interfering in our country's domestic political affairs."
Mr. Campbell, who said he had sought to travel to the Philippines to collect evidence on killings of labor and other activists, denied he had any protest plans and "was booked to be leaving the Philippines before the summit began."