UPDATES THROUGHOUT
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) – An alliance of over a thousand Moro and indigenous peoples from various parts of the Philippines has been violently dispersed by police after a protest Wednesday in front of the United States embassy in the capital Manila.
Protesters had gathered to demand an end to the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines, and to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for a foreign policy not dependent on America, the country’s long time ally.
In a statement emailed to Anadolu Agency, human rights groups blamed the U.S. for instigating the police response and claimed that more than 50 people had been injured — at least five requiring hospitalization — after tear gas was released and patrol vehicles rammed into the ranks of protesters.
Police armed with truncheons also chased after protesters, SANDUGO — a newly formed national minority alliance for self-determination — added.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent dispersal of the protest here at the U.S. Embassy, which was led by our fellow Moro and Indigenous Peoples,” the statement quoted Kerome Succor Aba, national spokesperson for human rights group Suara Bangsamoro, as saying.
“This protest serves to highlight the imperialist plunder, abuses, and continued domination of the United States in the country. Today, we witnessed how even our local security forces are keen on employing violent tactics to quell the dissent of the marginalized and the oppressed.”
The statement called on Duterte to address the incident, and protect the interests of national minorities from “the claws of Washington”.
Duterte came to power in May, and has since made a succession of anti-American outbursts and talked of forging links with China and Russia, bringing uncertainty to the long alliance with the U.S.
He is presently on a state visit to China, where he is seeking to expand trade and investments, financing for infrastructure projects and also repairing relations strained under his predecessor over territorial conflicts in the South China Sea.
On Wednesday, Dulping Ogan, the secretary-general of NGO Kalumaran, blamed the U.S. for the violent dispersal.
“The U.S. can even order our police to attack our own people just to protect its embassy,” he said.
“This is a clear display of power, and highlights the urgency of our call to pull out U.S. forces from the Philippines, especially in our ancestral lands.”
