Press Statement
December 09, 2011
Contact:
Terry Valen, President National Alliance for Filipino Concerns
415.333.6267, info@nafconusa.org
NAFCON: Prevent Indefinite Military Detention of Fil-Ams
The rights and welfare of Filipinos in America, especially those of immigrants and the undocumented, are in jeopardy.
The U.S. Senate has just approved a bill that allows the U.S. military to imprison any person indefinitely, including U.S. citizens, without charge or trial.
Now, both houses of congress are preparing a joint bill to be approved by President Obama within the next two weeks.
“We need to improve the laws which would prevent the frequent unjust detention and deportation of so many Filipinos forced to work hard abroad to feed their families,” said Terrence Valen, President of the National Alliance for Filipino Concern (NAFCON).
“This law does the opposite. It erodes a basic human right to due process (or of habeas corpus)and further puts our community at risk,” continued Valen.
NAFCON is urging all Filipinos to tell Congress to vote NO on this bill entitled the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) containing these provisions that violate constitutional rights of people in America.
NAFCON encourages the community to take action now by signing the American Civil Liberties Union petition below or at www.tinyURL.com/notoindefinitedetention .###
—————————————————————————————————–
Top members of Congress are secretly meeting now to try to figure out how to jam through a dangerous bill before Christmas.
Their main focus? Legislation authorizing this president and all future presidents to order the U.S. military to pick up and imprison people, including U.S. citizens — without charging them or putting them on trial.
We need you to take immediate action to prevent our country from becoming a place where the military can throw a person in jail and let him or her waste away without charge or trial. (Do not forward: This link will open a page with your information already filled in.)
Let’s be clear about what this proposal really is: no due process, no trial, and no proof beyond a reasonable doubt — and indefinite military imprisonment based on suspicion alone.
A handful of senators secretly came up with this outrageous indefinite detention provision and attached it to the National Defense Authorization Act. And an even smaller group of House members forced through the House of Representatives a law for worldwide war, and worldwide imprisonment, in virtually any country where a terrorism suspect lives, even here in America itself.
The House and the Senate are now rushing to come up with a joint version of the bill and ram it through Congress within the next two weeks.
We know Congress is starting to hear from people who are outraged by this proposal. And if we continue to keep the pressure on, we can stop this. But it’s going to take all of us.
The Secretary of Defense, the Directors of the FBI and CIA, and national security experts from both Democratic and Republican administrations have argued against this extreme measure. But, as you read this, secret talks in Congress to force it quickly to final passage continue unabated.
Only a huge public outcry can prevent Congress from crossing a dangerous line that is a direct affront to everything we believe in.
Final action on this bill could come at any moment. Whether you’ve acted on this issue before or not, we need you to speak up now. Please contact your members of Congress immediately.
——-
To join the NAFCON news list please send a request to info@nafconusa.org.
The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns [NAFCON] is a national multi-issue alliance of Filipino organizations and individuals in the United States serving to protect the rights and welfare of Filipinos by fighting for social, economic, and racial justice and equality. It was launched in San Jose California in 2003. At present, NAFCON members encompass over 23 cities in the United States.
