Migrant Workers Barred From Seeing UN Chief

by MARK JOSEPH UBALDE, GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines - At least 17 delegates from various migrant workers' groups complained on Wednesday that they were not permitted to attend the opening of the inter-government phase of the 2nd Global Forum on Migration and Development at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

In a press conference, the delegates said they were disappointed by the Philippine government's decision to keep them out because they wanted to see United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

The UN chief and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo addressed the various government representatives from 162 countries on Wednesday at around 9 a.m.

"We are puzzled (why) we were cut out in the opening ceremony," lamented Gemma Aldaba of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). She said that during the first GFMD in Brussels, Belgium, about 12 civil leaders were allowed to enter participate during the inter-government part of the forum and were even asked to report to the world leaders after.

Ambet Yuson of the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) said the barring of the 17 civil society leaders could be treated as a "deliberate foul" for the migrant groups.

"In basketball lingo, this is already a deliberate foul," said Yuson," This is already the second try to stop us."

Prior to the barring of the 17 civil society leaders, Yuson said that the city government of Manila revoked their permit to hold a picket rally at the Rajah Sulayman Park in Roxas Boulevard despite signing the necessary permits.

Rex Varona of the Hong-Kong based Asian Migrant Centre, said he was ashamed that his own country prohibited civil leaders from the opening of the inter-government stage of the GFMD.

"We've never experienced this in New York in 2006, nor in Brussles in 2007," Varona told GMANews.TV. "I'm ashamed that this happened in the Philippines."

Varona noted that civil leaders are the ground workers who are always ready to extend help toward migrants in various countries.

"Who better knows the cases of domestic helpers gang-raped ... the 18-hours work schedule of workers in Hong Kong? It's the civil society," he said.

'Misled'

Ellene Sana of the Center for Migrants Advocacy told GMANews.TV that they were not really barred from the proceedings.

She said it was previously agreed upon that civil society leaders would go to the PICC at around 11:30 am for the turnover. However, she received a text message informing them that they should arrive at 8:30 a.m.

The said text message turned out to be false, Sana clarified.

Claro Cristobal, spokesman of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, told GMANews.TV that civil society groups are not permitted to attend the government days of the GFMD precisely because it is the various governments' turn for discussion.

Cristobal also said that the civil groups had already been given two days (October 27 - 28) for their dialogs and it was "successful." He also noted that the same thing was done in Brussels last year.

The government days of the GFMD began on Wednesday and would end on Thursday. The four-day event aims to discuss ways on protecting the rights of migrants; empowering migrants to contribute to development; fostering more opportunities for legal migrations; managing migration and minimizing the negative impacts of irregular migration. - GMANews.TV

***000***