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News ArchiveFilipino activists set three conditions for polls in Burma
(Mizzima) – Pro-democracy activists in the Philippines, keen to see democracy being ushered into military ruled Burma, have set three conditions for the 2010 elections to be free and fair.
Egoy Bans, spokesperson of Free Burma Coalition-Philippines, a network of Philippino activists for Burma told Mizzima that ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the United Nations and the international community must work together to ensure three minimum conditions for Burma. They are – release of the NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and other political prisoners, cessation of hostilities against ethnic nationalities and political dissenters and to review the 2008 constitution, which is not of international standard.
UN pressed to act on evacuees’ plight
DAVAO CITY—A team of peace advocates from various parts of the world will visit war-torn areas in Mindanao, including Maguindanao, next week in a bid to press the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to respond to the plight of civilians displaced by fighting.
Nearly 500,000 people fled their homes in Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao and North Cotabato when fighting broke out between the military and Moro guerrillas in August last year.
Although many of the evacuees had returned home, thousands are still living in squalid conditions in camps in Maguindanao.
Major Mindanao Groups Unite to Listen to “Presidentiables”
For the first time in this island’s history, at least nine major networks and organizations are coming together to organize a forum that will perhaps help determine the future of Mindanao.
A diverse group of inter-faith, peace advocates, business, academic, multi-sectoral and civil society organizations will be inviting all the presidential candidates to Davao on April 16, to listen to what their plans are for Mindanao.
Dubbed “Listen Mindanao: We Care for you”, the forum is meant to find out if the presidential candidates have actual plans and agenda for Mindanao, and if they do, to find out what they are. The forum also intends to gauge if the candidates indeed care for the island and its peoples. Representatives from key sectors and communities will engage and pose specific questions to the candidates.
He dropped by to listen
At least that is what he was requested to do. And listened he did, while fielding some hard questions himself.
Senator Benigno S. Aquino, III, at the brink of deciding whether to run for the Presidency his mother once held, and his father coveted, met with an intimate group of Mindanao civil society leaders and peace advocates to explore his potential platform for Mindanao particularly on the peace process should he run for the highest office of the land.
Asian Renaissance Grand Lecture: We need more active CSO engagement with sustained dialogue
In his quest to explore Asia’s ascendancy in the wake of the so-called Fourth Wave of Democratization, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shared his thoughts on the state of democracy in Asia in a lecture held at University of the Philippines, Diliman last January 29 organized by the Institut Kajian Dasar and Japan-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation in cooperation with the UP College of Law.
Dubbed as “ASIAN REINAISSANCE AND THE FOURTH WAVE OF DEMOCRATIZATION” the lecture was attended by students coming from different universities, law professors, media, and members of civil society organizations in the Philippines.
Ilagan forum tackles Moro people’s struggle
A FORUM on international solidarity held Friday opened talks about the struggle of the Moro people for self-determination.
Representatives of civil society groups in and out of the country talked on the struggles of Timor-Leste, West Papua, and the Bangsamoro at the Ateneo de Davao University Jacinto campus.