Canadian citizen who joined SONA rally to be deported

MANILA, Philippines – Another foreigner who joined a rally in protest of the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, was prevented by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) from flying out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Friday night, September 13.

Kim Chatillon-Meunier, a 24-year-old Canadian student, was lining up at the immigration area for her Cebu Pacific flight 5J142 bound for Hong Kong when she was intercepted by BI officers at around 7 pm, Friday.

Maan Pedro, spokesperson for the BI, told Rappler that Meunier had been on the bureau’s watchlist for visa violations.

“She participated in a political activity which is in violation of the condition of her stay as a temporary visitor in the country,” Pedro said.

According to the human rights group Karapatan, “Kim was a delegate to the International Conference on Human Rights in the Phillippines held last July. She also joined the international solidarity and humanitarian mission in Quezon province prior to the conference. She observed the program of the rally during the State of the Nation address last July.”

Karapatan added that Meunier visited the country primarily to meet the requirements of her internship for an international studies program of the University of Montreal. She also helped conduct research on the reproductive health conditions of women in depressed communities in Tondo, Manila, the group said.

The bureau’s data revealed that Meunier had been admitted to the Philippines in May on a 21-day tourist visa but was granted an extension.

Deportation

The Canadian will go through the deportation process between Monday to Tuesday next week, September 16 to 17, Pedro said.

This means Meunier will not be allowed to enter the Philippines again after she is allowed to leave.

Pending her deportation, immigration officers brought Meunier to the BI detention center in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig.

Karapatan denounced Meunier’s detention, demanding respect for her rights and her immediate release.

“Karapatan condemns this blatant harassment and violation of rights. Like what the BI and the Aquino administration did to Dutch activist Thomas van Beersum, they are violating Chatillon’s fundamental right to free expression and her right to study and support human rights issues in the Philippines,” Karapatan Secretary General Tinay Palabay said.

Thomas van Beersum, the Dutch who joined the SONA rally that authorities violently dispersed, was earlier deported and placed in the bureau’s blacklist as persona non grata.

READ Deported Dutch activist: ‘I don’t regret it’

He was photographed confronting PO1 Joselito Sevilla. The cop cried and photos and videos of the incident became viral, sparking public outrage and prompting the government to conduct investigations into the participation of foreigners in the rally.

READ: Open letter to Thomas van Beersum who made the cop cry

The human rights leader demanded that the BI watchlists against foreigners who attended the SONA rally be withdrawn, saying that “these are tools for harassment and suppression of fundamental rights.” – Rappler.com