VIOLATIONS OF CEASEFIRE AND HUMAN RIGHTS - PHILIPPINE ARMY PROVOK
for some centuries now, the island in the southern philippines had been war-stricken. philippine army clashes with moro liberation forces (MILF, MNLF, Abu Sayyaf) - to the expense of many tenthousands of civilians who wish nothing more than to live in their own house longer than 2 years, harvest their own without being killed by snipers. another war is at stake now. it is not about religion though using religious notions to attack - it rather is a war about oil.
VIOLATIONS OF CEASEFIRE AND HUMAN RIGHTS -
PHILIPPINE ARMY PROVOKES ANOTHER WAR
Liza Fernandez Gatchalian
On March 04, 2003 the Davao International Airport had been blasted by a C4-explosive. The following day the news reported that the Abu Sayyaf plead itself guilty, even announcing more attacks to come. The government and high-ranking military officials didn’t believe this confession, rather they said, this terrorist group wants to confuse the investigations in order to conceal MILF (Moro Islamistic Liberation Front) criminal activities. Since then, you could hear them talk about implementing martial law in Mindanao to make an end to terrorist attacks done by Muslim secessionist groups. On the other side, Salamat Hashim, leader of the MILF, called all able-bodied for a Jihad (Holy War) on February 25, 2003.
Where are we? This is the sad situation of Southern Philippines, namely, the island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago (mainly Basilan and Jolo island). It’s the part of this single christianized country in South-East-Asia where ever since colonizers that tried to unite the scattered islands - now called the Philippines - conflicts had arisen - conflicts fed by different religious (and thus ‘cultural’) notions, but even more by material greed. Especially in the western part of Mindanao churches are seldom found and people gather in mosques to pray. And there are indigenous people holding hand on their ancestral lands. The landscape is very lush. When crossing Mindanao you pass tropical forests, volcanic plateaus, river valleys, swamps and marshes. Thus, this land is very fertile - and recently, there is said to be oil and natural gas. As a matter of fact, a multi-million Dollar development plan has been started in Central Mindanao, making the natural resources of the Liguasan Marsh accessible to foreign investors.
On the Muslim side, taking possession of the land through military forces had been counteracted by armed groups. Middle of the last century, the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) had been established by Nur Misuari. In the late 1970s, after Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law which strongly affected the Muslim communities, Salamat Hashim split the movement and headed a rival council which was called the MILF in 1984. Still another group turned up in the 1990s: the Abu Sayyaf. Main objective of all those groups is to create an independent state in Mindanao and Sulu, the Bangsamoro state. The presence of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has never subsided in the last centuries, and being a soldier in the South Command (based in Zamboanga City) was a stepping stone to higher ranks and status in Philippine hierarchy. Skirmishes had been reported from several parts of the islands, and the AFP did not only act self-defensive.
The hunt after ‘Muslim rebels’ which caused existential struggles for many (innocent) civilians almost came to an end when the Philippine government (under the presidency of Fidel Ramos) agreed with the MNLF (Nur Misuari as spokesman on that side) on ceasefire and the Moro provinces had been granted autonomy (called Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, ARMM). That was in 1996. As soon as two years after the historical ceasefire agreement had been trampled: since 1998 local NGOs and church-people claim displacements of civilians due to armed clashes. In 2000, former President Joseph Estrada proclaimed ‘All-Out-War’ causing displacements of several tenthousands of people. With Gloria Macapagal Arroyo there had been another hope for peace talks (All-Out-Peace policy). But now the civil war started all over again.
There are two stories to tell: one would be about the ‘Balikatan 03-1’ offensive in the Sulu Archipelago, the other about the Pentagon-hunt in Central Mindanao. ‘Balikatan 03-1’ is the continuation of an offensive started the year before. US-army had been invited and is repeatedly invited to train the AFP - Philippine constitution prohibits foreign forces in combats on Philippine soil which has caused severe talks with Donald Rumsfeld. The US would gladly accept the chance to fight the terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf in order to get one link cut in the Al-Qaeda network.
But this article shall address another problem, that is, the ample number of refugees due to the search for the Pentagon (popularly termed “the kidnap-for-ransom-gang”) in the central provinces of Mindanao.
It is true: a radicalization on side of the Muslim people has taken place, even the secular ones feel being persecuted by the government’s offensives and insulted by its strong support of the US-led war on Iraq. The symbolic dimension of this war is quite large: the major assails had been launched during Muslim holidays which is being perceived as a weighty insult. So was the latest: February 11, 2003 the Muslim celebrated the Eid’ul Adha, the feast marking the end of the hajj. In the morning, all believers had attended the prayers in the mosques, when suddenly helicopters (AFP) started a rocket-fire (around 6:15 a.m.). This was in the town of Pikit, North Cotabato. The air-raid was resumed by 9 a.m., this time dropping bombs. Somewhen in the afternoon the President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, ordered ceasefire. The Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes stopped the attacks with arguing that this happens in deference to the Muslim holiday, the ceasefire would only be temporary, ending midnight. Even the preparations for the feast had been raided: a truck delivering 100 sack of rice and 40 goats has been confiscated by the AFP in order to check them (the goods and animals had been returned after the feast but the elders in the community refused them because they feared them to be intoxicated). In other places, mosques had been raided by taking along dogs. Some accounts impart that Christian statues had been placed inside the mosques.
According to official reports, no civilians had been killed during the attacks on February 11. A fact finding mission to Pikit last March 01-03 gathered testimony that two man had been killed by one bomb that had been dropped just beside a mosque (the mosque is reportedly destroyed). Interviewees from the area affected (now living in evacuation centers) had given another picture about the war: the newspapers are mainly pro-government and did not represent the suffering of those tenthousands of displaced persons. According to them, the military offensive already started way back in September 2002 in the areas of South Cotabato. The AFP claimed to prosecute the so-called Pentagon, the assumed radical core group of the MILF headed by Salamat Hashim. The assails causing large displacements started in the south of the Liguasan Marsh on January 01, 2003. Permanently on the hunt for the Pentagon, the AFP attacked various places around the Liguasan Marsh (Columbio, Upper Pulangi, Bukidnon) which had been highlighted by the attack in Pikit where they assumed the stronghold of the Pentagon, namely the Buliok complex. Accidentally, these places are strategic points to enter the area of the Liguasan Marsh.
On February 19, 2003 (source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) the government confessed that its main target is the MILF and not the Pentagon. The justification once again was the ceasefire violation on side of the MILF on August 07, 2001.
130.000 people had been displaced since the beginning of the year. They live in evacuation centers that are gymnasiums or mere make-shift tents. Access to water is very hard, electricity is lacking. The people brought few of their belongings, most of the evacuees are women and children. The fact finding mission was a combined medical mission: most deseases affect the perspiratory system, the digestive system (diarrhea prevailing among children), not to talk about psychological effects. Some died already while staying in the evacuation centers. The government scarcely sends relief packages: some centers received nothing, some once in the three weeks after their displacement. The packages consisted of 2kg rice and some canned goods for a family with 5 children - that is enough to feed them for 1 day. Their own land with their own harvest is inaccessible since snipers would kill anybody entering the now occupied villages. The families are running out of money, they can’t afford to see a doctor or to buy hygienic articles. Most of the children stopped schooling.
One can cynically ask “how about the development of the Liguasan Marsh?’ now that there is nobody living there except for the military. After some days the military termed the area around Pikit ‘peaceful’ and ordered the people to go back to their homes. But the evacuees who had been displaced for several times since 1998 do not want to go back. They fear more attacks and more unjust assaults. They would return when the AFP and the MILF withdrew from the area. In fact, some don’t even have a home anymore because their houses had been destroyed during the bombings and firings. In the latest incident, some 300 people had been forced to return to their vilage in southern Pikit. Two days after they had to flee again - the AFP torched their houses, 27 in all had been burned. One man had been arrested and later found dead in the river bed. This is not exceptional, the testimonies gathered come up with more human rights violations on the side of the Philippine army: killings, illegal arrests or arrests without warrants, kidnappings, burnings,…
Massive deployment of soldiers in the areas around the Liguasan Marsh has been accounted as early as November 2002. In an open letter to President Macapagal Arroyo the Diocese of Kidapawan (January 20, 2003) admonished the “new trends of militarization”. It has been reported among others “harassments, indiscriminate firings, intrigues, threats, intimidation of civilians, search without warrant”, “entry of the military and para-military troops (39th IB PA, MNLF integrates and CAFGU) in the Peace Zone Areas”, “killings” of three men (by CAFGU, para-military group recruited by the government: Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit). The immediate days before the air-raid in Pikit took place, people had noticed air reconnaissance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) holds record that evacuation started there as soon as February 08, 2003; some Barangay Officials had warned their villagers of an imminent attack.
A responding letter from Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes (February 09, 2003) contains the following: “Peace to both the CPP/NPA and the MILF means they have complete control of our communities, there are no military detachments and AFP units to confront them, and the people are terrorized by them into submission through the barrel of a gun. Certainly, no self-respecting and sovereign country would accept this kind of peace armed rebels would like to impose on us.” (CPP/NPA refers to the armed wing of the Communist Party). Further, it asserts that investigations on the mentioned cases had been opened.
A secret document claims that the area should not be re-populated. The interest is on the oil of the Liguasan Marsh and residents would simply disturb proper exploitive activities. This war is not a religious war even though it uses anti-Islamic notions - this war is a war about access to resources, a war that the Philippine government fights against its own people.
“I can take you to places where you can see Abu Sayyaf and AFP-soldiers walking side by side. I can even show you places where you can order military arms. The Abu Sayyaf would be nothing without the fire-arms given by the military, and the soldiers would be less rich without the Abu Sayyaf. Why? Because they make deals! The soldiers inform the Abus where to find foreigners or other (powerful) people to kidnap, and the military gets a share of the ransom money. Yah! 60-40 is the usual agreement. When I invite friends to Basilan, I tell them to never inform anybody where you are going and when. And when the military doesn’t provide them with guns, then the Abus just kidnap one of them - for the ransom of a gun.”
Further information:
www.mindanao.com/kalinaw
www.mindanews.com
PHILIPPINE ARMY PROVOKES ANOTHER WAR
Liza Fernandez Gatchalian
On March 04, 2003 the Davao International Airport had been blasted by a C4-explosive. The following day the news reported that the Abu Sayyaf plead itself guilty, even announcing more attacks to come. The government and high-ranking military officials didn’t believe this confession, rather they said, this terrorist group wants to confuse the investigations in order to conceal MILF (Moro Islamistic Liberation Front) criminal activities. Since then, you could hear them talk about implementing martial law in Mindanao to make an end to terrorist attacks done by Muslim secessionist groups. On the other side, Salamat Hashim, leader of the MILF, called all able-bodied for a Jihad (Holy War) on February 25, 2003.
Where are we? This is the sad situation of Southern Philippines, namely, the island of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago (mainly Basilan and Jolo island). It’s the part of this single christianized country in South-East-Asia where ever since colonizers that tried to unite the scattered islands - now called the Philippines - conflicts had arisen - conflicts fed by different religious (and thus ‘cultural’) notions, but even more by material greed. Especially in the western part of Mindanao churches are seldom found and people gather in mosques to pray. And there are indigenous people holding hand on their ancestral lands. The landscape is very lush. When crossing Mindanao you pass tropical forests, volcanic plateaus, river valleys, swamps and marshes. Thus, this land is very fertile - and recently, there is said to be oil and natural gas. As a matter of fact, a multi-million Dollar development plan has been started in Central Mindanao, making the natural resources of the Liguasan Marsh accessible to foreign investors.
On the Muslim side, taking possession of the land through military forces had been counteracted by armed groups. Middle of the last century, the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) had been established by Nur Misuari. In the late 1970s, after Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law which strongly affected the Muslim communities, Salamat Hashim split the movement and headed a rival council which was called the MILF in 1984. Still another group turned up in the 1990s: the Abu Sayyaf. Main objective of all those groups is to create an independent state in Mindanao and Sulu, the Bangsamoro state. The presence of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) has never subsided in the last centuries, and being a soldier in the South Command (based in Zamboanga City) was a stepping stone to higher ranks and status in Philippine hierarchy. Skirmishes had been reported from several parts of the islands, and the AFP did not only act self-defensive.
The hunt after ‘Muslim rebels’ which caused existential struggles for many (innocent) civilians almost came to an end when the Philippine government (under the presidency of Fidel Ramos) agreed with the MNLF (Nur Misuari as spokesman on that side) on ceasefire and the Moro provinces had been granted autonomy (called Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, ARMM). That was in 1996. As soon as two years after the historical ceasefire agreement had been trampled: since 1998 local NGOs and church-people claim displacements of civilians due to armed clashes. In 2000, former President Joseph Estrada proclaimed ‘All-Out-War’ causing displacements of several tenthousands of people. With Gloria Macapagal Arroyo there had been another hope for peace talks (All-Out-Peace policy). But now the civil war started all over again.
There are two stories to tell: one would be about the ‘Balikatan 03-1’ offensive in the Sulu Archipelago, the other about the Pentagon-hunt in Central Mindanao. ‘Balikatan 03-1’ is the continuation of an offensive started the year before. US-army had been invited and is repeatedly invited to train the AFP - Philippine constitution prohibits foreign forces in combats on Philippine soil which has caused severe talks with Donald Rumsfeld. The US would gladly accept the chance to fight the terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf in order to get one link cut in the Al-Qaeda network.
But this article shall address another problem, that is, the ample number of refugees due to the search for the Pentagon (popularly termed “the kidnap-for-ransom-gang”) in the central provinces of Mindanao.
It is true: a radicalization on side of the Muslim people has taken place, even the secular ones feel being persecuted by the government’s offensives and insulted by its strong support of the US-led war on Iraq. The symbolic dimension of this war is quite large: the major assails had been launched during Muslim holidays which is being perceived as a weighty insult. So was the latest: February 11, 2003 the Muslim celebrated the Eid’ul Adha, the feast marking the end of the hajj. In the morning, all believers had attended the prayers in the mosques, when suddenly helicopters (AFP) started a rocket-fire (around 6:15 a.m.). This was in the town of Pikit, North Cotabato. The air-raid was resumed by 9 a.m., this time dropping bombs. Somewhen in the afternoon the President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, ordered ceasefire. The Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes stopped the attacks with arguing that this happens in deference to the Muslim holiday, the ceasefire would only be temporary, ending midnight. Even the preparations for the feast had been raided: a truck delivering 100 sack of rice and 40 goats has been confiscated by the AFP in order to check them (the goods and animals had been returned after the feast but the elders in the community refused them because they feared them to be intoxicated). In other places, mosques had been raided by taking along dogs. Some accounts impart that Christian statues had been placed inside the mosques.
According to official reports, no civilians had been killed during the attacks on February 11. A fact finding mission to Pikit last March 01-03 gathered testimony that two man had been killed by one bomb that had been dropped just beside a mosque (the mosque is reportedly destroyed). Interviewees from the area affected (now living in evacuation centers) had given another picture about the war: the newspapers are mainly pro-government and did not represent the suffering of those tenthousands of displaced persons. According to them, the military offensive already started way back in September 2002 in the areas of South Cotabato. The AFP claimed to prosecute the so-called Pentagon, the assumed radical core group of the MILF headed by Salamat Hashim. The assails causing large displacements started in the south of the Liguasan Marsh on January 01, 2003. Permanently on the hunt for the Pentagon, the AFP attacked various places around the Liguasan Marsh (Columbio, Upper Pulangi, Bukidnon) which had been highlighted by the attack in Pikit where they assumed the stronghold of the Pentagon, namely the Buliok complex. Accidentally, these places are strategic points to enter the area of the Liguasan Marsh.
On February 19, 2003 (source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) the government confessed that its main target is the MILF and not the Pentagon. The justification once again was the ceasefire violation on side of the MILF on August 07, 2001.
130.000 people had been displaced since the beginning of the year. They live in evacuation centers that are gymnasiums or mere make-shift tents. Access to water is very hard, electricity is lacking. The people brought few of their belongings, most of the evacuees are women and children. The fact finding mission was a combined medical mission: most deseases affect the perspiratory system, the digestive system (diarrhea prevailing among children), not to talk about psychological effects. Some died already while staying in the evacuation centers. The government scarcely sends relief packages: some centers received nothing, some once in the three weeks after their displacement. The packages consisted of 2kg rice and some canned goods for a family with 5 children - that is enough to feed them for 1 day. Their own land with their own harvest is inaccessible since snipers would kill anybody entering the now occupied villages. The families are running out of money, they can’t afford to see a doctor or to buy hygienic articles. Most of the children stopped schooling.
One can cynically ask “how about the development of the Liguasan Marsh?’ now that there is nobody living there except for the military. After some days the military termed the area around Pikit ‘peaceful’ and ordered the people to go back to their homes. But the evacuees who had been displaced for several times since 1998 do not want to go back. They fear more attacks and more unjust assaults. They would return when the AFP and the MILF withdrew from the area. In fact, some don’t even have a home anymore because their houses had been destroyed during the bombings and firings. In the latest incident, some 300 people had been forced to return to their vilage in southern Pikit. Two days after they had to flee again - the AFP torched their houses, 27 in all had been burned. One man had been arrested and later found dead in the river bed. This is not exceptional, the testimonies gathered come up with more human rights violations on the side of the Philippine army: killings, illegal arrests or arrests without warrants, kidnappings, burnings,…
Massive deployment of soldiers in the areas around the Liguasan Marsh has been accounted as early as November 2002. In an open letter to President Macapagal Arroyo the Diocese of Kidapawan (January 20, 2003) admonished the “new trends of militarization”. It has been reported among others “harassments, indiscriminate firings, intrigues, threats, intimidation of civilians, search without warrant”, “entry of the military and para-military troops (39th IB PA, MNLF integrates and CAFGU) in the Peace Zone Areas”, “killings” of three men (by CAFGU, para-military group recruited by the government: Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit). The immediate days before the air-raid in Pikit took place, people had noticed air reconnaissance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) holds record that evacuation started there as soon as February 08, 2003; some Barangay Officials had warned their villagers of an imminent attack.
A responding letter from Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes (February 09, 2003) contains the following: “Peace to both the CPP/NPA and the MILF means they have complete control of our communities, there are no military detachments and AFP units to confront them, and the people are terrorized by them into submission through the barrel of a gun. Certainly, no self-respecting and sovereign country would accept this kind of peace armed rebels would like to impose on us.” (CPP/NPA refers to the armed wing of the Communist Party). Further, it asserts that investigations on the mentioned cases had been opened.
A secret document claims that the area should not be re-populated. The interest is on the oil of the Liguasan Marsh and residents would simply disturb proper exploitive activities. This war is not a religious war even though it uses anti-Islamic notions - this war is a war about access to resources, a war that the Philippine government fights against its own people.
“I can take you to places where you can see Abu Sayyaf and AFP-soldiers walking side by side. I can even show you places where you can order military arms. The Abu Sayyaf would be nothing without the fire-arms given by the military, and the soldiers would be less rich without the Abu Sayyaf. Why? Because they make deals! The soldiers inform the Abus where to find foreigners or other (powerful) people to kidnap, and the military gets a share of the ransom money. Yah! 60-40 is the usual agreement. When I invite friends to Basilan, I tell them to never inform anybody where you are going and when. And when the military doesn’t provide them with guns, then the Abus just kidnap one of them - for the ransom of a gun.”
Further information:
www.mindanao.com/kalinaw
www.mindanews.com
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