Relevance, not triviality

WELLINGTON (AFP) - Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said Monday her country welcomed foreign help to overcome its history of political violence, as protesters criticised the bloodshed.

"I welcome our friends in the international community, such as New Zealand, to work with us to erase this legacy of violence and violations for ever," she told reporters during an official visit to New Zealand.

About a dozen protestors gathered outside New Zealand's parliament to demonstrate against the political killings and arrests as Prime Minister Helen Clark hosted a lunch for Arroyo.

The protesters held placards demanding an end to the killings many linked to the armed forces and the release from jail of leftist Philippine congressman Crispin Beltran, who has been held since February last year on charges of rebellion.

Rights groups say more than 800 people have been murdered for political reasons in the Philippines since Arroyo took office in 2001.

UN envoy Philip Alston has said its military was in "almost total denial" about the situation.

Clark said New Zealand would help the Philippines by providing human rights training for institutions like the police and military, while Arroyo said her government was acting to stop the killings.

"We have a number of accused behind bars. We've had some convictions, we've had a few acquittals and we have the soldiers who have been accused facing court martial," the Philippine leader said.

Beltran's case was being dealt with according to the law and his human and civil rights were being upheld, Arroyo added. Opponents say charges against the congressman have been trumped up.

Protestor Dennis N. Maga, a unionist and Beltran supporter who travelled to New Zealand from the Philippines for Arroyo's visit, said the president's words about protecting human rights were not backed up by action.

"We have 14 presidents in the history of the Philippines. Arroyo so far is the worst of them all for being a dictator, a totalitarian ruler," said Maga, who stood inside a small metal cage outside parliament to highlight his cause.

"Bring the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Philippines, I think she is the one to be blamed," he said.

Arroyo and Clark witnessed the signing of agreements covering transnational crime and environmental protection following talks Monday.

The two leaders, along with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda, will attend the opening day of the Inter-Faith dialogue at the northern town of Waitangi on Tuesday.

The annual dialogue, involving regional academics and religious leaders, was set up to find ways to reduce religious conflict following the 2002 Bali bombings.

A total of 202 people including a large number of western holidaymakers were killed in the attack on the Indonesian resort island by Islamist extremists.

The mainly Christian Philippines has faced a long-running Muslim insurgency in the south of the country.