Opinion Editorials, August 2007
|
|
Postponement of Peace Talks with the
MILF shows insincerity in addressing Mindanao Problem
By Sittie Rajabia Sundang
ccun.org, August 25, 2007
The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP)
postponed the GRP-MILF 14th Exploratory Talks which supposedly
scheduled on August 22-24, 2007 at
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
.
GRP postponed peace talks for the second time this
year. The first was on May which the government asked for the postponement
due to the coming of the May 14 elections. Now, they made the postponement
for the reason of not having a “guidelines”.
Kawagib Moro Human Rights organization dismayed over
the postponement of the peace talk because this will only show the
insincerity of the government to address the
Mindanao
problem.
The government should help the public distinguish
between the Abu Sayyaf Group and the MILF. The postponement and the
inclusion of the 67 MILF members in the warrant of arrest are sending
signals that the government is also running after them not only after the
ASG.
If President Arroyo is really sincere on having peace
talks with the MILF she should restrain the marines from conducting
military offensives in Sulu and Basilan. She must draw the line between
the justice and vengeance. She should not whip up the AFP’s cry for
blood.
The pursuit of a small member of bandits is affecting
the whole population. They do not distinguish their targets because even
civilians become the victims of the “intensive military offensives” in
Basilan and Sulu ordered by Arroyo.
Arroyo should also consider the welfare of the
civilians in
Mindanao
that have been suffering from her wars for six years now. They were forced
to leave their ancestral land to escape from the bombs and bullets
targeting their communities.
Civilians have been suffering indiscriminate firings,
aerial bombardment and tagged as sympathizers of the Abu sayyaf if not
members of the “terrorists” group.
The case of Sarah Lumandong, 25 years old who suffered
wounds from the shrapnel of military’s mortar while having “ground
tests” in their community in Basilan. Another was the killing of 14
years old Abdulhakim Abilul in Indanan, Sulu who accused by the military
as member of the Abu sayyaf. These are only some of the cases of human
rights violations against the Moro people in
Mindanao
.
Now the number of evacuees has been increasing since
the “intensive military offensive” in Sulu and Basilan against the
alleged perpetrators of the July 10 incident started.
The MILF has long offered partnership with the GRP in
running after the bandits and gave way to the AFP in hunting them yet they
keep on postponing the peace talks.
Kawagib Moro human rights organization urges the
government to show their sincerity in bringing peace in
Mindanao
and resume peace talks with the MILF.
The government should consider the condition of the
civilians in the area who become the usual victims when there are military
operations in the guise of pursuing the “terrorists”.
Sittie Rajabia Sundang
Secretary General
Kawagib Moro Human Rights Organization
c/o Kalinaw Center for Interfaith Resources
Francisco Avenue, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City (082) 299-4964
Kawagib Moro Human Rights Organization
c/o Kalinaw Center for Interfaith Resources
Francisco Avenue, Juna Subdivision, Matina, Davao City (082) 299-4964
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||||||
