Witnesses and survivors deliver emotional testimony about the impact of both governments’ collaboration in the so-called War on Terror

Written by Sarah Lazare, staff writer for Common Dreams. Published 7-17-15.

The International People’s Tribunal of the Philippine and United States government kicked off Thursday in Washington, D.C.. (Photo courtesy of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines)

The United States and Philippine governments are collaborating on the mass violation of human rights and self-determination in the southeast Asian country—inflicting torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings through the so-called War on Terror—witnesses and survivors testified Thursday during the Washington, D.C. kickoff of a grassroots International People’s Tribunal.I

Organized by numerous groups, including a global network called the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, the historic tribunal has assembled a jury of lawyers, scholars, ministers, and rights campaigners—and enlisted prominent attorney, activist, and former government official Ramsey Clark as their lead prosecutor.

Those gathered for the emotionally-charged testimony demanded that the administrations of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and U.S. President Barack Obama answer for their atrocities. Continue reading →