Rights activists in Zamboanga protest forced evictions

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Human rights activists held a rally Saturday in Zamboanga City as part of an internationally simulated public action demanding dignity. The activists, who are members of the Amnesty International, also denounced forced evictions in Zamboanga City and others parts of the country and the world. They accused the government of preventing victims of a huge fire in Cawit village to rebuild their houses. Local officials said the area is considered dangerous after huge waves destroyed seaside houses on the village of Sinunuc last year. Asia Pacific Youth Network groups Amnesty International and Gusty Motoring Group in Zamboanga City joined the internationally simulated public action. Similar actions were also held in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Manila, according to Francis Marcial, of the local Amnesty International. He said network groups in Australia, Mongolia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and other Asia-Pacific countries also held similar events to demand dignity and denounce forced evictions around the world, especially in Cambodia. “There has been massive forced evictions done in Cambodia and it caught world attention. Many Cambodians were forced to be homed on streets, deserts and mountains without worth help from the government. Young children and newly born babies sleep against the hazards of street and open lands," Marcial said in a statement he read during the rally. “The network is taking the chance to call on all governments to deal with the matter responsibly so that people enjoy their right to home. Home means so much to people. To many rights holders, home means safety, food, clothing, good health, love and family. A home is part of a human life with lived dignity," he added. Marcial’s group also held a motorcade around downtown Zamboanga. He said the campaign was aimed at raising public awareness on forced eviction and the series of human rights abuses and violations related to it. “The campaign also bears the rights of the victims of poverty, homelessness, and displacement," Marcial said. - Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV