Latest news with #PCFS
Scoop
4 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Int'l Rural Movement: BBM A 'Champion Of Impunity' Like Duterte; IHL Conference A 'Sham'
An international coalition of rural groups and food sovereignty advocates slammed the Marcos Jr. administration for its 'hypocrisy' in hosting an Asia-wide conference on international humanitarian law while state-perpetrated human rights violations—especially peasant killings—continue with impunity. The Asia Pacific Regional Conference on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), hosted by the Philippines through the Department of Foreign Affairs, is happening from 11 to 14 August 2025 in Makati City, Metro Manila. It is said to be the largest regional IHL gathering to date. The People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) expressed skepticism about the conference, citing two key issues: the Philippine government's heightened counterinsurgency efforts under the new National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) 2025-2028, and its complicity in US warmongering following its recent talks with President Donald Trump. 'How dare this government declare itself to be a champion of international humanitarian law? Rural communities in the Philippines, as direct victims of this regime's violations and impunity, would be among the first to dispute that claim,' said Gail Orduna, global coordinator of PCFS. The coalition cited human rights monitor Karapatan, which reported that halfway under the Marcos Jr. administration's term, 86 out of the 119 extrajudicially killed and seven out of 14 enforced disappearances are peasants. The group also documented 19 incidents of aerial bombings and artillery fire in the same period—14 of which happened in 2024 alone—as hamletting and de facto martial law prevail in rural areas. These bombings affected more than 48,000 people. Orduna said the situation is currently worsening, after last week's bombing in Brgy. Maguibuay, Tagkawayan, Quezon province and the military's killing of a civilian in Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. Ongoing fact-finding and humanitarian missions launched in these areas are facing difficulties in the face of harassment and repression. She also mentioned the judicial harassment faced by local rural people's movements, such as the trumped-up terror financing charge against PCFS member organization AMIHAN Federation of Peasant Women. This has been a tactic used to suppress critical, legitimate people's organizations. 'If Marcos Jr. truly champions international humanitarian law, rural communities should be protected and humanitarian efforts unrestricted. Instead, his counter-insurgency efforts endanger these communities on a large scale,' Orduna said. 'BBM is building the same legacy that continues to make the Philippines the deadliest country for peasants in Asia and even the world—a champion of impunity, akin to that of his dictator father Marcos Sr. and his predecessor Duterte,' she added. According to Karapatan, throughout Duterte's term, 339 out of the 422 extrajudicially killed and 15 out of 21 enforced disappearances were farmers. More than a hundred bombings and 26 massacres were also documented. Orduna also warned that human rights violations are likely to spike due to the current administration's military subservience to the US, given the regular joint Balikatan war games and reports of US military bases, facilities, and infrastructure being built in the country. These include the four additional EDCA sites, US naval repair facility in Palawan, ammunition factory in Subic, and deployment of missile systems in the country. 'If the Philippine government were sincere in upholding international humanitarian law, it should have at least condemned the war crimes of Israel against the Palestinian people, especially the recent announcement to take over Gaza City. Yet, it has continued to align its position with the US, which has been complicit in the genocidal war,' she said. PCFS challenged the Marcos Jr. administration to acknowledge its breaches of international humanitarian law to demonstrate that its IHL conference is not merely a gimmick. 'Admission is just the first step. Upholding international humanitarian law requires that perpetrators face accountability and that the root causes of armed conflict—such as hunger and poverty—are addressed. Only then can peace and justice prevail,' Orduna concluded.
Otago Daily Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Work on building advancing
Work is well and truly forging ahead to turn a derelict Port Chalmers building into a community venue. After lying dormant for decades, the Sims building at the corner of Beach St and Macandrew Rd has become a hive of activity again. Formerly known as the Stevenson and Cook Foundry, it is a historic remnant of the once-thriving shipbuilding industry in the area. Work to deconstruct the 1970s extension on the southern end of the building began on June 9 and is now complete. Now that the section of building has been deconstructed, it will allow for better access and make the redevelopment easier. It will also allow Dunedin City Council (DCC) contractors to assess the surrounding land — particularly the stability of the bank and trees behind the site. Demolition and the installation of protective barrier fencing is expected to cost about $60,000. The DCC owns the building and has a memorandum of understanding with the Port Chalmers Foundry Society (PCFS), which has been fundraising and developing concept plans to convert it into a community venue. Initially, the site was earmarked to become a carpark until the PCFS stepped in, driven by an alternative vision that celebrates history and invests in a creative future for Dunedin. The DCC is putting more than $700,000 towards the initial part of the restoration. PCFS Trust co-chairman Bill Brown said he was delighted with the hive of activity on the site and believed things were moving in a positive direction. ''It'll be good to get a roof on it and see the old foundry restored.'' Ultimately, the plan was for the building to become a hub for community use in some form, he said. The PCFS has been working with architects and project management consultants to develop concepts for the venue, and has been fundraising to help bring the plans to fruition. The Sims building was constructed in 1880, and then about a decade later, it was bought by partners Isaac Stevenson and John Cook, who ran an engineering company in it. The business played a large part in Port Chalmers' creation and development, originally making simple appliances. It later became the most up-to-date plant engaged in ship building and repairing in New Zealand. As well as undertaking some of the southern hemisphere's biggest ship repair jobs, the company manufactured gold dredges for the Otago goldfields and constructed and fitted out ships for World Wars 1 and 2. In 1989, the DCC took ownership of the building from the Port Chalmers Borough Council.
