Four Pinay activists face criminal charges in Indonesia

UPDATED 2:20 p.m. - The activist group Sanlakas is calling on the Indonesian government to release seven protesters—including four Filipino women— who were arrested for participating in a demonstration that coincided with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit last week.

In a statement issued last Saturday, Sanlakas said the Indonesian government should “swiftly release” the detainees “without charges, threats, or harassment,” because they “were merely protesting.”

Releasing them would be part of the host country’s obligation as “a state-signatory to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights,” it added.

The group identified one of the Filipino detainees, Manjette Lopez, is its secretary general.

Lopez is also the vice president of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), the statement read.

Meanwhile, the other three—all members of the Jubilee South-Asia Pacific Movement for Debt and Development (JS-APMDD)—were identified as:
* Lidy Nacpil (regional coordinator),
* Malou Tabios (staff member), and
* Rhoda Viajar (staff member).

In a separate statement, the FDC said the four women were arrested together with three Indonesian rallyists, after they joined a rally that passed through “several foreign Consulate offices in Bali, including those of the US and Japan.”

Sanlakas also said the seven “were initially detained for 12 hours under questioning by the police,” but authorities “decided to keep them in detention for an indefinite period of time.”

The Filipino women are reportedly facing criminal charges and possible deportation.

To express opposition of the rallyists’ detention, Sanlakas also disclosed that they will “organize mass actions” early this week in front of the Indonesian Embassy in Makati City and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) building in Pasay City. - VVP, GMA News

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