�Pass the Bill now!� This is the concerted clamor of thousands of domestic workers that will gather at the Quezon Memorial Circle o­n April 24, Sunday for the annual celebration of the �Araw ng Kasambahay�. The elusive bill that they are pushing for here is the Magna Carta for Household Helpers, otherwise known as the Batas Kasambahay, which has languished in the Senate for nine years to date.

�It�s high time that we give this sector the respect, recognition and attention it deserves,� says Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, President of Visayan Forum Foundation, co-organizer of the Araw ng Kasambahay celebrations.

Former Minister Prakash Man Singh, the leader of NC(D) and son of Ganesh Man Singh (Commander of the popular mass movement of 1990 for democracy ) has been arrested by the unconstitutional Royal Commission which has been formed by the king in order to suppress political party leaders in the name of corruption. It is to be noted that the king appointed chairman of the Royal commission is o­ne of the highly corrupt bureaucrat of former partyless autocracy before 1990 movement.

Singh was given order to present himself within 24 hour for a so-called enquiry related to a water supply contract during his ministerial period in the government. He refused to recognize the unconstitutional commission. And hence he has been arrested and put under the detention for 7 days. Notable is the unconstitutional jurisdiction given to this Commission by the king to enquire, to prepare case, to start hearing and to give punishment, as if there is no judicial system in the country.

Press StatementThe so-called lifting of emergency in Nepal by King Gyanendra appears to have confused friends of democracy in Nepal in India as well as abroad. In fact, the emergency has not altered a singular data in the reality of Nepal. The political prisoners are still in jail, press censorship remains, civil liberties are suspended and the direct and autocratic rule of the King continues. The irresponsible and illegal Royal Commission persists harassing political leaders and activists stubbornly. We therefore, strongly condemn the attempt of King Gyanendra to hoodwink the people at large and earnestly ask our friends everywhere to see through the new ploy of King Gyanendra.

The all round, ever deepening problems of Nepal cannot be solved without King Gyanendra surrendering every vestige of the power and authority he has usurped unconstitutionally. The restoration of duly elected house of representatives can bring the democracy to the track. The restored house there after, should undertake convention of Constituent Assembly, to address the restructuring of the state and outstanding socio-economic contradictions as well as the Maoists insurgency.

May 1, 2005

Your Majesty King Gyanendra:

We are deeply saddened by the return to authoritarian rule in Nepal with your recent action of taking over government followed by suppression of people�s movements including the women workers� movement, among others.

Our country, the Philippines, also lived through 14 years of dictatorship (1972-86). The country, its people and the economy paid dearly for this authoritarian period in terms of political instability, a muzzled press, withdrawal of basic freedoms, the cream of the younger generation (our youthful activists) joining the underground, many either killed or jailed, a devastated economy, and so o­n. Indeed, our country lived through the worst of authoritarian rule but we survived and, in the end, prevailed with the 1986 peaceful People Power uprising that dismantled the dictatorship and restored democracy and constitutional rule.

In behalf of the Philippine labor movement, we are concerned about the violations of democratic rights, human rights, women�s rights and labor rights which started with the declaration of the state of emergency o­n Feb. 1, 2005. we have learned that with the dismissal of the Royal Government of Nepal, you issued a decree which suspended all trade union rights and banned meetings of more than five persons.

Moreover, we also learned that key union leaders and activists are in the list of over 1,400 persons targeted for arrest or close surveillance. Many trade union and women leaders are being taken without an arrest warrant and denied a trial because they demanded the restoration of democracy. These actions do violence to basic human and labor rights.