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These resources were compiled and submitted by the Social Justice team at St. Augustine's, Marpole. 

At the Diocesan Synod in May 2025, a resolution was passed designating December 3 as a Day of Prayer for Political Prisoners.

Background:

Around the world, there are estimated to be over 1 million political prisoners. According to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Resolution 1900/2012, a Political Prisoner can be defined as:

  • An individual whose detention violates one of the fundamental guarantees under the European Convention of Human Rights and its protocols.
  • Imposed for purely political reasons not connected to any offence OR a disproportionate length of detention or a comparatively discriminatory detention due to political motives.
  • Imprisonment as a result of unfair proceedings in relation to political motives.

The revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of prisoners are also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules. They were adopted by the UN general Assembly on Dec 17, 2015. The resolution was made to protect the rights of those who are currently being held in a UN member state’s prisoners. The resolution covers several topics of treatment prisoners are entitled to. These issues include but are not limited to: medical attention, staff training, different forms of prison separation, and solitary confinement.

However, across the world political prisoners report experiences of torture, lack of access to food, water, legal representation and medical care. The root causes of why political prisoners exist may be summed up into four main areas:

  • Legal Infrastructure consisting of excess bureaucracy making it difficult for those in detention to access representation, get into court and defend their case. Many political prisoners have never actually been convicted of any crime but are instead in detention awaiting trial for several years.
  • Manipulation of the judicial system through corrupt judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and other officials who may be paid off or otherwise incentivized to continue the detention of activists, human rights defenders and other victims of political imprisonment.
  • Weaponizing of common crimes such as murder, arson or robbery to frame activists. Discussed later in this resource will be examples of law enforcement going so far as to plant evidence or otherwise fabricate evidence and manufacture eye witness accounts to charge activists with common violent crimes as opposed to admitting to political motivation
  • Red tagging, terror tagging or labeling activists and insurgents or members of underground organizations who are doing legal organizing such as union organizing, protesting or striking. This sows fear among activists to continue to assert the rights of the people to fair working conditions, living conditions and safe livelihoods free from military harassment and environmental destruction.

Case Study: Marklen Maojo Maga

Maojo is a full-time trade union organizer of Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1st Labor Movement) and a founding member of the youth group Anakbayan. He was abducted on February 22, 2018 by

plainclothesmen who introduced themselves as Philippine National Police (PNP) officers, while he was playing basketball in Rizal. Later that day, family and friends were able to confirm that he was being held at the PNP-CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) compound in Camp Crame.

At the time of his arrest, Maga was actively supporting the strikes of the PISTON Land Transport Coalition who opposed the Jeepney “modernization” plans of the Philippine government as part of its pollution and climate action strategy. Instead of taxis, drivers operate jeepneys. Government plans included forcing drivers to purchase new ‘e-Jeepneys’ that cost over 2 million pesos which the workers could not afford and threatened their livelihoods. Additionally, the “modernization” plans do not address the root issues of the pollution in the Philippines as Jeepneys only constitute 2% of the vehicles on the road yet the economic toll on drivers and their families was and continues to be ignored.

The police arrested Maojo based on fabricated charges for a murder in a location in Mindanao where he had never been. During his arrest, he was also falsely accused of carrying a firearm, which was clearly planted. He was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and sentenced to 8-14 years, but the Court of Appeals eventually overturned the conviction, citing clear evidence of planted evidence and violations of his rights.

Despite this, the government continued its persecution of Maojo, slapping him with seven more fabricated charges of murder and attempted murder. With no basis for these charges, it now seems the intent is to keep Maojo in jail for as long as possible, as each case hearing progresses at a frustratingly slow pace.

Thirty-eight years after the de jure end of the Martial Law era in the Philippines, the legacy of Martial Law continues with the ongoing detention of Maojo Maga and the ever-growing number of politically motivated arrests and detentions in the Philippines. Since Martial Law ended, over seven hundred people have been detained and almost eight hundred political prisoners are still held behind bars in the Philippines today.

How can we support?

Political prisoners tend to be activists in multiple sectors whether it be workers and labour organizing, climate justice advocacy and land defense, indigenous rights activists, women and youth activists and human rights defenders and journalists. These are people that expose and fight against injustice to bring about a better world for everyone, and are repressed for standing up for peace. Political imprisonment is a tool to silence activism, scare communities from standing up for peace, and detain leaders and knowledge keepers and isolate them from their communities in hopes that they will be forgotten and activism will stop. It's important that as we stand up for peace and justice we stand hand in hand with those around the world doing the same and support each other in times of need, letting political prisoners know that they have not been forgotten and that we are fighting for their freedom. As members of the Diocese of New Westminster, we can support the cause for political prisoners with the following actions which can be done as a parish project or by individuals. As Christians we are called to pray for those in need and political prisoners need our prayers.

Parishes can add a special prayer for political prisoners during the Prayers of the People on the Sunday closest to Dec.3rd, host a letter writing event, invite a representative of one of the many organizations supporting political prisoners to speak during the service or at hospitality hour following, join with other parishes in hosting an event.

Prayer for Political Prisoners: Loving Creator, you walk with us in the valleys and hilltops of life and we give you thanks for your presence in our lives. We ask that you shine the light of your mercy and compassion on all political prisoners, their families and those who work for their release. Walk with them in the valleys of fear, loneliness and hardship. Keep their spirits strong and their faith undiminished as they await release and reunification with their loved ones.

Strengthen us to work for the justice that all political prisoners cry out for that we might become the lights of Christ in the world that we are called to be. Amen.

Send a letter to political prisoners:

Letters can in some cases be delivered to political prisoners. Letters can be a great source of moral support to let political prisoners know that we care for them, and also let prison officials know that we have not forgotten about them while they’ve been in detention.

What TO include:

● Facts about yourself including the country you and anything you are comfortable sharing.

● Broad expressions of support for them and their rights

● Words of encouragement and solidarity

What NOT to include:

● Support for any armed organizations or anything that affiliates you or the person you are writing to with an illegal group

● Explicit or unkind comments

● Information about yourself you would not want law enforcement in the country to which you are writing to know as all letters are opened and screened by prison officials.

NOTE: You likely will not receive a response as many political prisoners do not have access to materials to return the letter or are not allowed to send out correspondence. There is a chance that letters will be thrown away by prison officials before getting to the person to whom you are writing, but there is also a chance that the person will receive it and letters are reported to be a source of strength for those in detention.

Letters to political prisoners in the Philippines can be emailed to cps.humanrights@gmail.com

Letters to political prisoners in other parts of the world can be distributed through the Canadian branch of Amnesty International https://amnesty.ca

Donate:

There are many organizations doing work to free political prisoners and raise awareness about their conditions. All support is meaningful and helps the cause.

For political prisoners in the Philippines some organizations to donate to are: Karapatan: https://www.karapatan.org/donate/

Canada-Philippine Solidarity for Human Rights: E-transfer to cps.humanrights@gmail.com

Amnesty International: https://amnesty.ca/ways-to-give/

Send a letter to your government representative:

Let MPs and MLAs know that their constituents care about Political Prisoners. You can call, email, or deliver a letter in person. Write from the heart about your concerns and what you would like to see change. Letters to MPs do not require postage!!

Follow social media platforms that talk about this issue:

Canada-Philippine Solidarity for Human Rights

Instagram: @cps.vancouver

Facebook: Canada Philippine Solidarity for Human Rights

St Augustine’s, 8680 Hudson St, Vancouver. On December 3, we will be hosting a letter writing evening in the Church Hall 6:30 – 8:30 pm. All are welcome. Tea & coffee provided.