Eleven countries, 15 cities worldwide to join Sept.21 global day of action vs. Philippine killings

International pressure on the Arroyo administration over human rights issues is expected to intensify next week as nine countries and 15 cities worldwide are expected to join the September 21 Global Day of Action Against Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines, according to the umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).The Global Day of Action is spearheaded by the International League of Peoples Struggle, human rights group Karapatan and Bayan.Rita Baua, international relations officer of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said, "International condemnation has been effective in exposing and putting on the defensive the Arroyo regime in the issue of extrajudicial killings. We expect this to intensify as many groups worldwide have already taken up the human rights issues in the Philippines. September 21 will be a global day of protest that will reverberate from Asia to the American Continent," Baua said.The International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) -- United States International Coordinating Committee members and the U.S. chapter of BAYAN are all set for mass actions on Sept. 21. The ILPS and BAYAN member organizations across the U.S. will hold protests and activities in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Hawaii, North Carolina and Massachusetts. The protest in New York will start with a prayer service and then a procession to the Philippine Consulate at 5th Ave. between 45tha and 46th St.In Canada, a weekly vigil of Filipino communities and sympathetic Canadians in front of the Philippine Consulate has been launched since Sept. 8 and they plan to continue this every Friday until Oct. 27. Filipino community members in Toronto and Montreal are also holding protest actions, information drives, and petition signing as build-up action for the internationally coordinated protests.Filipinos, Dutch and Belgian citizens in the Netherlands will also be conducting a picket rally in front of the Philippine Embassy in Hague at 12 noon and in Amsterdam Square at around 6pm.Filipinos in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia will also be holding protest activities on September 21. A solidarity action is also set in Indonesia as part of the international day of protest.In Korea, Minbyun, a lawyers' association in Korea, together with Filipino migrant organization KASAMMAKo will be gathering in front of the Philippine embassy on the 21st to join the protest actions.In Taiwan, members of Labor Rights Association, Human Rights Program and the students of Soochow University will be gathering in front of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei at around 2pm for their demonstration on the 21st. The different groups will also be calling their host governments to end their support of the Marcos-reincarnated Arroyo regime.