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Abducted activist's mom on speaking tour in Europe

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/31/2009 12:57 PM

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The mother and brother of missing activist Jonas Burgos is on a speaking tour in Europe to discuss the cases of forced disappearances in the Philippines.

“I hope that I can help people realize what is happening to good people like my son and many, many others in the Philippines,” said Jonas’ mother, Mrs. Edita Burgos.
 
Jonas, an agriculturist and land rights activist, was abducted inside a mall in Quezon City on April 28, 2007.

His mother is the chairperson of Desaparecidos, an association of the families and loved ones of victims of enforced disappearances in the Philippines.

Mrs. Burgos is in the Netherlands with her son JL. The speaking tour has taken her to London in the United Kingdom, and in Cologne, Bonn and Berlin in Germany.

She will be the main speaker in a forum in Den Haag, “Stop disappearances in the Philippines!” on October 31, Saturday where she will share her experience as a mother and a leader of an association seeking justice for their loved ones.

The forum, which will start at 7:00 p.m., is going to be held in Buurthuis Boerenplein, in Mandelaplein 1. The forum is co-sponsored by the International Committee Against Disappearances, IBON Europe and the Filipino Refugees in the Netherlands (FREN).

Political refugee, Prof. Jose Maria Sison, and Chairperson of the International League of Peoples' Struggle will provide background information on the political repression and persecution in the Philippines.

JL Burgos, on the other hand, heads the Free Jonas Burgos Movement. He will be presenting his films and artworks to the forum’s audience. Proceeds from the sale of his artworks will help fund the activities of the movement.

On November 2, Mrs. Burgos will be one of the main speakers in the conference “Abductions and Disappearances: Breaking the chain of impunity in the Philippines” at the International Institute of Social Studies in Den Haag.

Also, the Netherlands-based human rights group Rice & Rights network will co-sponsor another forum in Amsterdam on November 5 with Mrs. Burgos and JL Burgos as speakers.