Our hearts bleed on behalf of thousands of innocent, hapless civilians in Sulu who are displaced and whose lives are now at risk because of the full-blown war between the AFP and the MNLF ongoing in Sulu. We in the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) express our vehement outrage against the violent recourse to war by the combatants in this new war.
Our hearts bleed on behalf of thousands of innocent, hapless civilians in Sulu who are displaced and whose lives are now at risk because of the full-blown war between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) ongoing in Sulu. We in the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) express our vehement outrage against the violent recourse to war by the combatants in this new war.
The skirmishes in Sulu were supposedly provoked by MNLF anger and frustration over the massacre of a Bangsamoro woman and her child in Barangay Kapok Punngol, Maimbung, Sulu last week by elements of the Philippine military reportedly in search of Abu Sayyaf.
But the clashes nearly a week old have not resulted in instant justice for the loss of the first two civilian lives. Instead more civilians are suffering in the battlefields and in the evacuation centers.
We therefore appeal to Madam President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and to the MNLF leadership loyal to jailed MNLF leader Nur Misuari to order a stop to the fighting in Sulu to avoid more casualties especially to unarmed civilians.
We also call on the government to call off the deployment of more military forces to the province of Sulu to ease the tension there,and to the MNLF leaders in Sulu to hold off further attacks or provocations.
Any act of war or violence will never allow us to achieve our ideals and dreams for our people and our respective groups’ interests. On the contrary,it would only derail us from realizing our common goals in society.
For the same reasons, we urge the government to rethink its military attacks against reported terrorist elements in Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) areas in Palembang, Sultan Kudarat, Mamasapano, Datu Piang and Datu Paglas in Maguindanao province and in Lanao Sur.
The painstaking gains garnered in the ongoing peace talks with the MILF and in the ceasefire monitoring mechanisms are being eroded by the fighting.
We call on the military and the MNLF in Sulu to resolve the hostilities through dialogue and a ceasefire. The recriminations and the proper investigations can take place later, but the hostilities have to stop now.
As always, we remind the warring groups to think about the civilians.
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