FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2014
Reference: Valerie Francisco, Chairperson, GABRIELA USA, gabrielawomen@gmail.com
GABRIELA women throughout the United States stand together with international allies from Okinawa, South Korea, Malaysia and other Asia Pacific countries to protest against President Obama’s visits in the Asia Pacific in the next week. Obama aims to solidify relations in advancing an imperialist agenda and the resurgence of U.S. military occupation in the Asia Pacific region with talks regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). GABRIELA USA and Filipinos in the Philippines are sending a clear loud message, “Obama, you’re not welcome!” GABRIELA USA is outraged, and believes that the most dangerous and violent presence in the Philippines is U.S. economic dominance and military occupation. U.S. imperialism continues to ravage the lives of Filipinos through neoliberal policies that purport sovereignty while enforcing dependence to the U.S.
Historically, corruption by puppet governments and imperialist policies and free trade laws, like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), allows imperialist plunder and causes extreme poverty. Joblessness, lack of resources and multinational corporate interests prevent industries in these nations from developing. For women throughout the Asia Pacific region, the consequences of the TPP are dire as they lose access to patented medicines and medicine technologies for easily treated communicable diseases, breast cancer screening and treatment, diabetes treatment, and more.
U.S. military presence has resulted in many unresolved and severe violations against the rights of the Filipino people. As demonstrated in the rape of Nicole and other cases, U.S. soldiers who have committed sexual abuse have been released without accountability. Increasing the presence of foreign soldiers, weapons, and nuclear materials near schools, places of work, and peoples’ homes puts at risk the health, safety, and vitality of the Filipino people especially women and children.
After Super Typhoon Haiyan, it is apparent that Obama is using humanitarian exercises to justify the resurgence of U.S. military presence in the Philippines. Thousands of the Filipinos have been protesting the U.S.-backed Aquino administration’s neglect to provide adequate relief, housing, services and access to medicines, food and clean water. “Aquino and Obama’s efforts to serve their own interests outweigh their actions to provide relief and rehabilitation, and they are only taking advantage of the people’s vulnerability. If Obama really wants to help with disaster relief, we call on him to grant all Filipinos in the U.S. Temporary Protective Status (TPS),” says Tina Shauf, Campaigns Officer of GABRIELA USA.
GABRIELA USA calls on the Filipino people, friends, and allies to unite with us to strengthen our resilience and escalate our continued struggle against U.S imperialism and intervention. We say NO to U.S. military expansion in the Philippines!
Stop the rape of our women! Stop the rape of our country!
Our women are not your toys, our country is not your playground!
Stop Imperialist Wars of Aggression!
U.S. Troops Out of the Asia Pacific NOW! No to TPP!
#AsPacNot4Sale #USOutofAsPac
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