free crispin beltran
stop the killings of workers in the philippines !
Crispin Beltran is a militant trade unionist in the Philippines. He is a member of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and was elected to the Philippines Congress.
In February Philippines President Gloria Arroyo declared a state of emergency and began a crackdown on political opponents in response to an alleged foiled military coup. Crispin Beltran was arbitrarily detained by the Arroyo administration on 25 February on charges that he was "part of a conspiracy to commit rebellion." These charges were never substantiated and the warrant used to arrest Beltran was dated back to 1985 - that is during the Marcos dictatorship.
The state of emergency was lifted after seven days. The Philippines Supreme Court declared the arrests and bans unconstitutional. But Crispin Beltran is still in detention.
Beltran's detention is just one of many attacks occurring against workers in the Philippines. This year alone, 83 members of workers' organisations have been murdered by death squads. Workers in the Philippines have been rebelling against starvation wages and conditions. The capitalists hope that by killing and detaining workers and their leaders they will weaken the workers movement and keep wages and working conditions at very low levels.
Send a letter of solidarity from your union to the KMU. Email: kmuid@tri-isys.com
Send a protest letter from your union to the Philippines Government. Email: corres@op.gov.ph
