While we recognize that it is the state’s responsibility to pursue those who were responsible for the kidnapping, we call on the government forces to exercise extreme caution in their pursuit operations and give prime consideration to the protection of the civilians residing in the area and its surrounding barangays.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo publicly announced today that government will launch military operations in Sulu to “wipe out the Abu Sayyaf and other insurgents in Mindanao” following the release of Prof. Octavio Dinampo, Mindanao Peaceweavers Convenor and current chair of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) and ABS-CBN crew.
The directive came as no surprise to the people of Sulu as they already saw this coming. “As in our experience in the past, massive military operations have always been launched after the release of kidnap victims”, this was expressed by a prime mover of Sulu’s civil society community who is at the forefront of monitoring and conducting investigative and fact finding missions to affected communities in the island.
In fact, days before the release of the captives, civilian communities in Sitio Tandu Pugut, Syunugan Indanan was indiscriminately hit by artillery shelling at three o’clock in the morning (3am) of June 15, 2008 resulting to the displacement of 532 families, wounding four civilians – two women, a child and an elderly man.
Troop movements and positioning is now visible in the targeted Municipality of Patikul where the kidnappers are now hiding, government forces claim.
While we recognize that it is the state’s responsibility to pursue those who were responsible for the kidnapping, we call on the government forces to exercise extreme caution in their pursuit operations and give prime consideration to the protection of the civilians residing in the area and its surrounding barangays.
It need not be underscored that the effects of violent encounters on the ground are endless and unthinkable as experienced by the different communities of Sulu as the island has long been militarized. We call upon the authorities to ensure that the affected population, specifically the needs of the victims of displacement will be addressed and their basic necessities for food, shelter, sanitation and health will be adequately responded to.
We also count on Task Force Comet Head Major Gen. Juancho Sabban’s commitment to avoid incidents of human rights violations in the conduct of their operations.
The Mindanao Peaceweavers as a network of peace groups offers its support and solidarity to our brothers and sisters in Sulu in their quest for peace and justice in the island, as this aspiration is shared by the rest of the peoples of Mindanao.
For more information, you may contact:
Fr. Angel Calvo
Peace Advocates Zamboanga
MPW Lead Convenor
Memen Lauzon-Gatmaytan
Initiatives for International Dialogue
Lead Secretariat
Recent Comments