[asia-apec 1460] [isgn] Sign for Peace in Mindanao

[rcpd]

Dear Friends,
 
For almost a month now, the southern Philippine island of Mindanao 
has been hogging both local and international news because of a 
hostage-taking incident involving 19 foreign nationals by an armed 
Muslim group called Abbu Sayaff.  The Philippine government is 
employing a  military solution (primarily) then later on entered into 
negotiations for the release of the hostages.  But not only is the 
Abbu Sayaff the target of large-scale military operations in Mindanao 
now.  More than this, the government has utilized the opportunity to 
launch an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front 
(MILF) which has long been struggling for genuine self-determination.
 
The war has resulted in enormous social, environmental cost 
victimizing mostly poor farmers, indigenous peoples, women and 
children. 
 
We urge all peace advocates, progressives, social movements, people's 
organizations from around the globe to join the clamor for a stop to 
war in Mindanao and for the pursuit of genuine peace initiatives.
 
Below is a petition paper initiated by concerned groups in the 
Philippines.  Help us collect as many as a million signatures to 
press the government to go back to the negotiating table.  Please 
feel free to add your name to the list and to distribute it to 
friends. 

Apologies for cross posting. Send your replies at the following email
addresses: rcpd at info.com.ph 
alice at info.com.ph


 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
 

A Million Signatures to Stop the War in Mindanao

Stop the Estrada Regime's All-Out War in Mindanao
Support the Initiatives for the Resumption of Peace Negotiations
Respect the Moro People's Right to Self-Determination
 
	We, the undersigned members of different social movements, NGOs, 
church groups, human rights and other civic organizations and 
concerned individuals, put forward our position regarding the war 
that has been raging on in Mindanao, Philippines.

     We condemn the Estrada government's all-out war against the Moro 
people. It is deplorable that a government could spend millions daily 
in a war that has resulted in hundreds of casualties, dislocated 
thousands of rural communities and left scores orphaned and widowed 
while it refuses to provide people even their barest needs and social 
services such as education and health.  

     Neither can the government justify the war in the pretext of 
pursuing some groups of fully armed hostage-takers.  It cannot be 
used as a smokescreen to blur the real target: the Moro people's 
struggle for self-determination, now represented by the Moro Islamic 
Liberation Front (MILF).

     We cannot hope to achieve a lasting peace in Mindanao through a 
military solution. Months of war and the claimed decisive victory by 
the Estrada administration is nowhere in sight.  It has in fact 
suffered more casualties and incurred huge losses in terms of 
commerce and trade. And even if the government does achieve temporary 
victory given its current military superiority, it cannot annihilate 
the Moro people's aspiration for genuine independence.

     The situation in Mindanao once more highlights the need to 
comprehensively address the root causes that has fuelled rebellion in 
the Southern Philippines for several ages now.  The Moro people have 
suffered more than enough oppression and exploitation from foreign 
and local elites who themselves control the national government and 
who have systematically disenfranchised the Moros from control of 
their lands and other resources, whipped up the Christian-Muslim 
divide and used military might to crush resistance.  

     Given the bias and injustices experienced by the Moro people 
from all the previous governments and its long history of 
independence from any colonization, the struggle for self-
determination becomes a just struggle.  The same is true under the 
current government not only for the Moro people but the majority of 
the Filipinos in general. Thus, we enjoin our Muslim brothers and 
sisters to link arms with the rest of the Filipino people in a common 
struggle against local and foreign oppressors, now politically 
represented by the Estrada regime.

     A genuine peace process is a most welcome move at this time.  
But for it to prosper, it should be premised on the recognition and 
respect for the justness and legitimacy of the Moro people's
struggle 
for self-determination.  Otherwise, peace will remain as elusive.

     We thus call on the Estrada government to pull out all AFP 
troops and stop the all-out war in Mindanao right now and immediately 
pursue a political negotiation towards a lasting and genuine solution 
to the Mindanao conflict.

 
Partial List of Signatories
(in the Philippines and abroad)
 
1.  Dr. Rainer Werning, M.A., Ph.D.
    Executive Director
    Stiftung fuer Kinder, Freiburg (Germany) &
    Vice President
    International Forum for
    Child Welfare (IFCW * Geneva/Brussels)
2.  Muslimah Resource & Integrated Development Center Inc. (MURID 
    Center Inc.
3.  Bangsa Moro Consortium of NGOs/POs 
4.  PAKAPASUG (Parhimpunan sin Kababaihan Pakasambuhan Sin Lupah Sug 
5.  Prof. Eric Torres - Polytechnic University of the Philippines-
    Human Rights Office
6.  Prof. Flora Arellano - Ploytechnic University of the Philippines -
    Human Rights Office
7.  Institute for Urban and Rural Development (INSURED)
8.  Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IRDF)
9.  International South Group Network (ISGN) – Manila
10. Liga ng Sosyalistang Kabataan (League of Socialist Youth)
11. People's Unity for Economic Reforms and Social Agenda (PUERSA)
12. Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
13. Piglas Kababaihan
14. Resource Center for People's Development (RCPD)
15. Sosyalistang Partido ng Paggawa
16. Susan Granada
17. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
18  Ditas Go-Zurbano - Ecumenical Commission for Displaced Families 
    and Communites
19. Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura
20. Piglas-Maralita
21. Minna Kinnunen - Chairperson
    Finnish-Philippine Society
22. Faisal Haq Shaheen, B.Sc., MBATrade and Environment Researcher IISD Trade
    Knowledge Network 
23. Sk. Tawfique M. Haque- ActionAid Bangladesh
24. Ms. Theresa Limpin – Bangko, Thailand
25. Stiaan van der Merwe – South Africa
26. Dr. Johannes Kotchi
27. Sr. Arnold Ma. Noel, SSpS 





Resource Center for People's Development
#24, Unit 7, Mapang-akit St, Pinyahan, QC, Philippines
telefax- (632)4361831 tel - 4350815
email: rcpd at info.com.ph