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Mindanao mass rally manifesto
Dear friends: Yesterday 18 February 2009, the Bangsamao people
launched a mass-rallies in different areas of Mindanao Island, organized
by the Mindanao Alliance for Peace(MAP). Some hundred thousand of people
participated on the said mass-rallies where the main high light is to
call for the resumption of the peace negotiation between the the
Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic
Liberation front. Herewith attached is the adopted manifesto of the said
gathering.
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MANIFESTO
It is everybody's knowledge that here in Mindanao, hundred of innocent
and helpless non-combatants such as women, children , and olds were
caught in cross fire and killed, more than half a million are now in a
state of intolerable suffering in different evacuation center in
Mindanao, due to the on-going operation of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines(AFP) against some commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front(MILF) that started some times in August of the previous year. The
civilians homes and means of livelihood are not only left by them when
run for their lives but also burnt, stolen, and destroyed. Their
fundamental human rights are being trampled day-by-day. They are now
left with nothing but uncertain future.
The Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP) believes that prolonging the
standoff in the peace negotiation between the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front(MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines(GRP),
and the continued Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP) operation in
Mindanao would definitely extend the suffering and agonies of the
Bangsamoro people.
In the light of these uncalled development, the MAP in its untiring
quest for peace, launch “The Mindanao Action for Peace and Justice” and
issue the following Manifesto purposely to call on the GRP, the
International Communities, the MILF, and other peace advocate the
following;
For the AFP to immediately cease its extensive military offensive in
communities where civilians reside. To avoid civilians casualties and
become collateral damaged, the Armed Forces of the Philippines should
carefully differentiate civilians from that of the Moro Liberation
Front's combatants.
The AFP troops now now camping in the civilian communities shall
immediately and completely vacate their and return to their headquarters
prior to the resumption of the war in August of the previous year so
that civilians can go back to their respective farms with out fear of
being caught in cross fire.
Since most civilian houses were burnt and razed to the ground and their
means of livelihood were either stolen or destroyed, programs to
rehabilitate and rebuild their homes and means of livelihood shall be
immediately facilitated.
To ensure that the nightmares experienced by the civilians during the
war will not be repeated again,provision of international humanitarian
protection and security must be right away arranged for them. The
International community, particularly the European Community and the
organization of Islamic Conference should take active parts to realize
this demand.
As the stakeholders who are the ultimate victims of the war between the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
we are calling all influential International bodies, for the benefit of
the Bangsamoro helpless and innocent civilians to use your influence and
immediately bring the GRP and the MILF into negotiating table and stand
as a guarantee so that whatever agreement the two parties can conclude
must be honored, respected and implemented by both of them.
And for the sake of fairness and justice, all concern shall take into
consideration the primacy of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral
Domain as the starting point of the resumption of the talks.
In behalf of the Bangsamoro people who are now crowding in a mass
rallies in the different cities and municipalities in Mindanao, carrying
placards and streamers in support of the Memorandum of Agreement MOA-AD,
the Mindanao Alliance for Peace (MAP) would like to take this
opportunity to demand to the leaders of the Bangsamoro Civil Society
Organization who are now having a peace summit somewhere in the City of
Cotabato to include to whatever resolutions they can come up the
provisions of this manifesto.
(SGD) ABDULLMANNAN L. GAYAK
Chairman: Mindanao Alliance for Peace
18 February 2009
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