Saturday, August 09, 2008 Masked activists in Cebu weigh in on China’s record
HOURS before the grand opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a militant youth group held a silent protest in front of the Chinese Consular Office in Cebu City.
“This is a symbolic protest against the Beijing Olympics,” said Ernie Edralin, spokesperson of Akbayan.
Around 20 protesters carried torches symbolizing the Olympic Torch and wore surgical masks in a statement against the heavy air pollution in China.
“We are wearing the surgical masks as a symbol. The athletes in China had to wear masks because of the heavily polluted air in the country,” explained Edralin.
Since the protesters were not allowed to enter the premises of the Chinese Consular Office, they just stood in front of the gates for 20 minutes, causing some traffic in the area to pile up.
Quiet land
They also released white balloons to call for the freedom of the people of Tibet and Burma. They later broke their silence as they read “In the Quiet Land,” a poem by imprisoned Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
“This is part of a solidarity movement. Since Cebu is considered a model place, it should take part in ensuring change in China,” Edralin said.
In a press statement, Akbayan also expressed hope that China would do something about its human rights record.
“China is uniquely positioned to address Burma’s problems and to facilitate democratic reform. China must stop protecting Burma at the United Nations Security Council. China must address human rights issues hounding its own people, especially in Tibet,” the statement read.
Akbayan also recalled the massive nationwide rallies on Aug. 8, 1988, when protesters called for an end to military rule and the establishment of a democratic
government in Burma.
“We urge the international community to stand united with us and deny the regime the means to continue oppressing and killing civilians,” Akbayan’s statement read. (EPB)
