Human rights watchdog Amnesty International yesterday blamed the Philippine military and separatist rebels for the gross human rights violations and worsening plight of thousands of civilians displaced by the armed conflict in Mindanao.
In its 74-page report entitled Philippines: Shattered lives, beyond the 2008-2009 Mindanao Armed Conflict, the London-based group detailed the risks that hundreds of thousands of people face as they are forced to live in camps or makeshift shelters, sometimes surrounded by a heavy military presence. Many of the displaced numbering approximately 300,000 are still unable to return to their homes despite the declaration of a joint ceasefire on July 29.
“The failure of both the Philippine military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to ensure that their forces comply with international law during the 2008 to 2009 conflict has resulted in human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law,” the report said.
It noted that “the lack of a neutral human rights monitor respected by both parties to the conflict has meant that effective investigations and bringing the perpetrators to justice has not occurred.”
The presence of armed groups and privately armed militias, and localized attacks between feuding clans, Amnesty said, has also aggravated the already volatile and complex situation.
Citing one case in January 2009, Amnesty said a large group of soldiers entered Ungap village in Sultan Kudarat Municipality and arrested 10 men there. The soldiers forced their way into houses, pointing their guns and destroying villagers’ belongings.
One villager told Amnesty International that the detained men, including her husband, were later given electric shocks. Nine were released but her husband remains in detention. According to another family member, his interrogators questioned him over a 10 week period while administering electric shocks and beating him.
Many displaced people told Amnesty that they were forced to risk their lives and return to their former homes to retrieve belongings and tend their crops in order to survive. Other testimonies provided details about arbitrary arrests and severe beatings of civilians at the hands of the Philippine army, the MILF, or local militias.
“Decades of conflict have inflicted scars on the civilians, who continue to live in fear, not knowing what tomorrow holds,” said Donna Guest, AI’S Asia Pacific Deputy Director. “The recent ceasefire agreement has raised their hopes, so the burden is now on the government and the MILF to demonstrate that they are sincere in prioritizing the well-being of the local population.
Guest added that President Arroyo’s government is “obliged” under international law to ensure that displaced people are protected and have proper access to adequate food, water and medical assistance.
Amnesty hopes that the resumption of the peace talks would enable the government and the MILF “to put human rights at the heart of their new round of negotiations.”
“Just like other armed conflicts in the world, the Mindanao armed conflict has fed on unresolved grievances that arose from a history of conflict. These grievances are often about grave human rights abuses, and historically, perpetrators of these abuses have not been held to account,h it said.
Amnesty stressed that government security forces, comprising the Armed Forces of the Philippines and government-armed paramilitaries, “must immediately cease all violations of human rights and take all measures necessary to ensure they are not repeated in the future.”
It also asked the government to extend an open invitation to the United Nations to visit Central Mindanao, in particular the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights, to check on the condition of refugees.
For the MILF, Amnesty said the rebel group must “publicly declare a commitment to respect the human rights of all peoples and immediately order its fighters, followers and supporters to cease all acts that constitute to human rights abuses, particularly in the context of the armed conflict.”
It also said that members suspected of committing violations must be removed from any positions where they may repeat them.
There was no immediate reaction from the government of Arroyo, who announced earlier this month her government would resume peace talks that were suspended last year.
Amnesty called on the European Union and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to support the establishment of human rights monitors to document abuses by parties to the conflict.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday took exception to reports that military was behind the forced disappearance and torture of internally persons (IDPs) who were affected by armed conflict in Central Mindanao region during the past months.
Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, AFP spokesman, said the military has not received any reports of personnel being involved into any violations against IDPs, numbering about 254,000 and now staying on 147 evacuation centers as of last month in Central Mindanao region where government security forces launched massive operations against lawless members of the MILF.
“We have not received any reports like that (torture and forced disappearance of male IDPs). The IDPs are actually pampered, some of them do not want to go back (to their place). Reports of torture are not true,” denied Brawner.
“We really deny that AFP has any involvement in human rights violations against IDPs. There’s no reason to torture IDPs, these are mostly children, women and old men,” Brawner added.
Brawner maintained that the presence of military personnel in some evacuation centers was meant to secure the IDPs and prevent the MILF from recruiting.
“Not only to secure the IDPs and prevent recruitment by the MILF but also prevent illegal disperse of food and medicine,” said Brawner. –Michaela P. del Callar, Mario J. Mallari and AFP
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