“Landlords, land grabbers, corrupt governments and
imperialism – we must all fight and defeat them. The landlords say they
will never give up their lands, but what is stronger than their greed is
the righteousness of our struggle for land and our humanity.”
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Activist from India Malem Ninsthoujia is indignant. It is
the day after the Supreme Court issued its decision scrapping the Stock
Distribution Option (SDO) scheme in Hacienda Luisita and he echoes the
anger of farmers from Central Luzon and everywhere else in the country
in saying that the High Court’s verdict is deceptive.
“The farmworkers of Hacienda Luisita demand that they be given
control and ownership over the land so long denied them by a fake
agrarian reform program. The Philippines’ justice system leaves much to
be desired when it comes to upholding the rights of farmers,” he said.
Then he directly addressed the audience comprised of farmers, peasant leaders and agrarian rights advocates.
“Fellow farmers, comrades, always hold your head high! We are the
tillers of the earth, we are the ones who feed humanity. We must never
forget that in our work and in our struggle for genuine agrarian reform
all over the world there is dignity!”
Peasant leaders and agrarian reform advocates from India, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Argentina, Kenya, Cambodia,
Senegal, Cameroon, Burundi joined their Filipinos counterparts in the
first “International Speak Out Against Global Land grabbing” held in
Quezon City. In a lively protest and program in front of the Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) offices, the internationalists expressed
strong solidarity with Filipino farmers and the rest of the Filipino
people in pressing for immediate reforms.
In a lively protest and program in front of the Department of Agrarian
Reform (DAR) offices, the internationalists express strong solidarity
with Filipino farmers and the rest of the Filipino people in pressing
for immediate reforms (Photo by Ina Alleco R. Silverio / bulatlat.com)
Land is life, fight for land rights
The rally and Shout Out activity were also parts of two
international activities, the International Festival for Peoples’ Rights
and Struggles and the 4th Assembly of the International League of
Peoples’ Struggles.
Nepalese activist Balram Banskota of the Asian Peasant Coalition
(APC) said farmers in his own country have learned through the years to
be more aggressive in pressing for their democratic rights. He said that
the radical political upheavals in Nepal have served to strengthen the
farmers’ movement in the country.
“We work every day, we sleep without having eaten. As we suffer the
landlords remain lazy but rich because we pay them with our life’s
blood. The political upheavals in Nepal, however, have wrought changes:
we are now committed to the fight for genuine agrarian reform and it is
the landlords who now fear landlessness and poverty. In the ongoing
construction of our developing society, farmers are making sure that we
incorporate in the new constitution the life and death issues of lad
reform and food security. I am certain that this, too is in the agenda
of farmers in the Philippines as they demand their rights in the streets
and in the halls of parliament,” he said.....
MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/07/07/peasants-from-poor-countries-shout-fight-for-land-against-land-grabbing-landlordism-state-terrorism-imperialism/