Self-determination and peoples’ liberation

It continues to be a bold assertion: “(A)ll the peoples of the world have an equal right to liberty, the right to free themselves from any foreign interference and to choose their own government; the right, if they are under subjection, to fight for their liberation and the right to benefit from other peoples’ assistance in their struggle.” 

Formulated at a time when “new forms of imperialism evolve to oppress and exploit the peoples of the world,” the Algiers Declaration of 1976, the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Peoples, remains true today. The “vicious methods” used against peoples struggling for their rights, described in the document decades ago, remind us how our situation today is not “only in da Pilipins”:

“Through direct or indirect intervention, through multinational enterprises, through manipulation of corrupt local politicians, with the assistance of military regimes based on police repression, torture and physical extermination of opponents, through a set of practices that has become known as neocolonialism, imperialism extends its stranglehold over many peoples.” This it does, the Algiers Declaration says, “with the complicity of governments that it has itself often installed.”

Early this week an international conference on “Democracy, Self-determination and Liberation of Peoples” was held at the Paul-Henri Spaak Room of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The assembly gathered leaders or representatives of the Kurdish, Basque, Tamil, Palestinian and Philippine liberation movements, support and advocacy groups, plus some members of the European Parliament.

Invited to speak in one of three panel discussions, I shared some thoughts on the Philippine movement’s fight for the right to development as well as its experience in resisting an oppressive state. Two others talked on promoting people’s collective rights from the perspectives of their own people: Ertugrul Kurkcu, member of the Turkish Parliament, on the Kurdish case in a multi-ethnic context; and Urko Alartza, member of the Spanish Senate, on the Basque people’s case.

Another panel discussion took up the cases of the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, the Kurds in Syria, and the Palestinians. Also presented were certain aspects of the fight for economic democracy, women’s liberation, and system change.

There was a third panel, about: 1) the role of the state in promoting, fulfilling and defending peoples’ collective rights; 2) collective rights in situations of conflict and issues of external forces in counterinsurgency and peace-keeping; and 3) the responsibility of international and multilateral organizations (the European Union and European Parliament) in promoting and defending collective rights.

Speakers on the first two topics, Jan Fermon, of the Progress Lawyers Network (Belgium), and Richard Harvey, of the Garden Court International (United Kingdom), dwelt lengthily on legal and human rights issues involved in the Philippine revolutionary struggle.

 Luis Jalandoni, chair of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines panel that has been negotiating with the Philippine government, delivered one of the opening speeches. The other speakers were Cynthia McKinney, a former member of the US House of Representatives highly critical of US military intervention in many countries and regions; and Hans Koechler, a noted professor at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

The conference aimed to gather together representatives of various peoples who continue to strive for the realization of the ideals of democracy, self-determination and national liberation as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international conventions, declarations, and United Nations resolutions.

Of particular importance to the participants was the UN General Assembly Resolution 1514, which states, “All peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.” And of course, there was the Algiers Declaration elaborating on the meaning of the right to self-determination.

In conclusion, the conference adopted a declaration indicting governments that “profess their adherence to democracy, (whereas) their practice is quite another matter.” In many cases, it adds, “democratic forms and processes are in place, but the substance of democracy remains a far cry from reality especially in terms of equal access to economic, social and cultural opportunities for the vast majority of the people.”

Countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa that gained independence from colonial domination decades ago, the declaration notes, “continue to struggle to assert their sovereignty and independence against attempts at domination and re-colonization by hegemonic powers.”

(In my presentation, I pointed out that our declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1898, and the “grant” of nominal independence in 1947, were both inherently impaired by US manipulation and control. This explains why the Filipino people essentially continue to struggle for national liberation — from US imperialist/neocolonial domination — and for the consequent full exercise of our right to development.)

Thus, the conference affirmed full support for the legitimate democratic struggles of the peoples whose fundamental human rights and freedoms are being attacked (as in the Philippine situation), and whose rights to their culture and language are being suppressed (like the Kurds, Basques, Palestinians, Tamils and other nations).

Among other resolutions, it also called on the European Union, international institutions “and all people of goodwill” to support the GPH-NDFP peace talks — suspended since 2011 — towards resolving the roots of the 44-year armed conflict.

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