Web pages about "Philippines"

Mindanao civilians under threat from MILF units and militias

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:20:25 +0100

Tens of thousands of civilians who have already suffered from the renewal of violence in Mindanao could be at even greater risk, if the Philippine government supports the creation of untrained and unaccountable civilian militias, Amnesty International said on Thursday 21 August.

Armed conflict in Mindanao escalated after 4 August, when the Supreme Court suspended a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

After 4 August, a number of MILF units occupied farmlands in North Cotabato province and burned houses, displacing more than 150,000 people. Two weeks later, MILF units in Lanao del Norte province engaged in attacks on civilians, hostage taking, bombings and arson, forcing another 50,000 people to flee their homes.

The MILF central leadership has denied ordering the attacks carried out by two of their commanders. The MILF has justified some of its recent attacks by claiming that it was targeting Civil Volunteer Organization (CVO) forces and other police auxiliaries, established by local government as emergency protection.

“MILF units that targeted villages have engaged in serious violations of international law and should be held to account,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director.

“But experience from around the world shows that the deployment of civilian militias can set off a chain of reprisals and only increases the danger facing civilians.”

“All sides to this conflict should step back from the brink and demonstrate their commitment to avoid harming civilians. The MILF must control its forces, and the Philippine government should take responsibility for the security of all peoples in the Philippines, regardless of religion or ethnicity,” said Sam Zarifi.

Amnesty International has verified that local political leaders in Mindanao’s Iligan City and North Cotabato province led efforts to form civilian militias after the MILF attacks. In Iligan City, the site of two bomb attacks on 17 August blamed on MILF elements, a group of 300 licensed gun owners, politicians and local government officials have set up a civilian militia called “God Save Iligan City”.

In North Cotabato province, armed civilians have already formed village militias, also known locally as CVOs. Local security officials reportedly rejected a request from North Cotabato’s vice governor to provide ammunition for the CVO. However, Amnesty International has confirmed that local patrons have already supplied guns and ammunition to CVOs and police auxiliaries.

In Western Mindanao, the Provincial Peace and Order Council composed of civil society, military and local authorities in Zamboanga del Norte province decided to arm CVOs on 19 August. Zamboanga del Norte’s governor justified this move by stating: “We have to protect ourselves... the military could not warrant our safety. They come late.”

The following day in the nation’s capital, the Director General of Philippine National Police (PNP) announced to the media that 1,000 shotguns will be shipped to Mindanao and given to "selected, screened and trained police auxiliaries" and deputised village watchmen and selected CVOs, all of whom are civilians. The PNP has pledged to provide an additional 12,000 more if this effort is successful.

In at least one instance verified by Amnesty International, armed members of a CVO prevented representatives of the Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team from reaching an affected community, claiming direct orders from the town's mayor.

"The recent violent attacks by MILF elements have of course shaken many of Mindanao's residents, who have every right to demand greater protection," said Sam Zarifi. "Many people in Mindanao are terrified of a return to a period when armed Muslim insurgents and Christian vigilante 'Ilaga' groups attacked civilians with impunity."

Background
On 4 August the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The Philippine Supreme Court was scheduled to hold another hearing on Friday 22 August.

The Memorandum of Agreement, which will create the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, would have been a breakthrough in the decade-long peace talks. The Memorandum aimed to formally open negotiations between the government of the Philippines and the MILF to end the four-decade conflict in Mindanao that has claimed the lives of an estimated 120,000 people, displaced some two million and impoverished the resource-rich region.

The Memorandum would have expanded the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The governors of affected communities in North Cotabato and Zamboanga, with large Christian populations, challenged the agreement before the Supreme Court, claiming that their right to information and participation in making decisions that affect their lives was not respected.

Philippines: Mindanao civilians under threat from MILF units and militias

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:17:37 +0100

Tens of thousands of civilians who have already suffered from the renewal of violence in Mindanao could be at even greater risk if the Philippine government supports the creation of untrained and unaccountable civilian militias, Amnesty International said today.

Armed conflict in Mindanao escalated after 4 August, when the Supreme Court suspended a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). After 4 August, a number of MILF units occupied farmlands in North Cotabato province and burned houses, displacing more than 150,000 people. Two weeks later, MILF units in Lanao del Norte province engaged in attacks on civilians, hostage taking, bombings and arson, forcing another 50,000 people to flee their homes. The MILF central leadership has denied ordering the attacks carried out by two of their commanders.

The MILF has justified some of its recent attacks by claiming that it was targeting Civil Volunteer Organization (CVO) forces and other police auxiliaries, established by local government as emergency protection.

“MILF units that targeted villages have engaged in serious violations of international law and should be held to account,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director.

“But experience from around the world shows that the deployment of civilian militias can set off a chain of reprisals and only increases the danger facing civilians.”

“All sides to this conflict should step back from the brink and demonstrate their commitment to avoid harming civilians. The MILF must control its forces, and the Philippine government should take responsibility for the security of all peoples in the Philippines, regardless of religion or ethnicity,” said Sam Zarifi.

Amnesty International has verified that local political leaders in Mindanao’s Iligan City and North Cotabato province led efforts to form civilian militias after the MILF attacks. In Iligan City, the site of two bomb attacks on 17 August blamed on MILF elements, a group of 300 licensed gun owners, politicians and local government officials have set up a civilian militia called “God Save Iligan City”. In North Cotabato province, armed civilians have already formed village militias, also known locally as CVOs. Local security officials reportedly rejected a request from North Cotabato’s vice governor to provide ammunition for the CVO. However, Amnesty International has confirmed that local patrons have already supplied guns and ammunition to CVOs and police auxiliaries.

In Western Mindanao, the Provincial Peace and Order Council composed of civil society, military and local authorities in Zamboanga del Norte province decided to arm CVOs on 19 August. Zamboanga del Norte’s governor justified this move by stating: “We have to protect ourselves... the military could not warrant our safety. They come late.”

The following day in the nation’s capital, the Director General of Philippine National Police (PNP) announced to the media that 1,000 shotguns will be shipped to Mindanao and given to “selected, screened and trained police auxiliaries” and deputised village watchmen and selected CVOs, all of whom are civilians. The PNP has pledged to provide an additional 12,000 more if this effort is successful.

In at least one instance verified by Amnesty International, armed members of a CVO prevented representatives of the Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team from reaching an affected community, claiming direct orders from the town’s mayor.

“The recent violent attacks by MILF elements have of course shaken many of Mindanao’s residents, who have every right to demand greater protection,” said Sam Zarifi. “Many people in Mindanao are terrified of a return to a period when armed Muslim insurgents and Christian vigilante ‘Ilaga’ groups attacked civilians with impunity.”

Background
On 4 August the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The Philippine Supreme Court is scheduled to hold another hearing tomorrow, Friday 22 August.

The Memorandum of Agreement, which will create the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, would have been a breakthrough in the decade-long peace talks. The Memorandum aimed to formally open negotiations between the government of the Philippines and the MILF to end the four-decade conflict in Mindanao that has claimed the lives of an estimated 120,000 people, displaced some two million and impoverished the resource-rich region.

The Memorandum would have expanded the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The governors of affected communities in North Cotabato and Zamboanga, with large Christian populations, challenged the agreement before the Supreme Court, claiming that their right to information and participation in making decisions that affect their lives was not respected.

'Comfort Women': waiting for justice after 62 years

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:59:18 +0100

"The Japanese Government thinks that if all comfort women die, it will be buried and forgotten. But it won’t. As long as our next generation knows about it, it will not be forgotten." Gil Won-Ok (below, right), former "Comfort Woman" from South Korea.

Thousands of women known as "comfort women" were forced into servitude by the Government of Japan for the armed forces in the 1930s before and after the Second World War. In what became known as a system of "military sexual slavery", women were abducted, beaten, raped and coerced into providing sexual services for the Japanese military.

The full extent of the sexual slavery system has never been fully disclosed by the Government of Japan, though it is thought that as many as 200,000 women were enslaved. The Government of Japan continues to refuse to officially acknowledge its responsibility for these crimes.

The "comfort women" system of forced military prostitution allowed for a range of abuses, such as sexual violence including gang rape and forced abortions, in what has been described as "one of the largest cases of human trafficking in the 20th century."

Many of these women continue to suffer the consequences of these abuses and are courageously speaking out about their experiences and campaigning for justice. Pressure is mounting on Japan as a range of governments across the world have passed resolutions calling for justice for "comfort women".

Resolutions have been passed in the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the European Parliament for the Government of Japan to:

accept full responsibility for the abuses of "comfort women"
officially apologize for the crimes committed against the women
provide adequate and effective compensation

The Government of the Philippines is currently considering passing a resolution that has particular significance because of the number of Filipino women who were enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Join the former "Comfort Women" in their battle for justice. Show your support for the Philippines to be the next country to pass a resolution calling for Justice for the Comfort Women.

UN examines human rights in member countries

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:59:20 +0100

All UN member states are facing a rigorous examination of their human rights records. The inaugural session of the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) working group began on Monday.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a new mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council and, over the next four years, it will regularly review the human rights obligations and commitments of all 192 Member States. Governments themselves will carry out this regular and systematic scrutiny.

The new process will address one of the main criticisms of the Council’s predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, which was accused of considering only a small number of countries, and of often avoiding pressing situations for political reasons.

The UPR Working Group will, until 18 April, examine the human rights records of 16 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Finland, India, Indonesia, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Tunisia and the UK.

This first session will be followed by two further sessions in 2008, so that 48 countries, selected by drawing lots, will have been scrutinized during the year.

An important feature of the new process is that governments of the countries under examination are expected to carry out a broad consultation among civil society. Amnesty International has lobbied energetically to ensure that all relevant voices are heard.

The organisation has submitted information on 14 of the 16 countries above and its members and supporters are working with civil society within each country to raise awareness of the new process.

Amnesty International said, in a statement issued on Monday, that this first session of the UPR Working Group will be key in setting the standard for future reviews, in terms of process as well as substance.

"Both reviewed and reviewing countries have an important role to play. Amnesty International looks to all member states to step up and help launch the UPR as an effective human rights mechanism," said Martin Macpherson, Director of the organization's International Law and Organisations Programme.

Video: Worldwide actions to close Guantánamo

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:28:43 +0000

Video placeholder

Thousands of people, including Amnesty International members and supporters from around the world, have taken action to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo. Amnesty International staged protests in 30 countries on Friday, 11 January.

The world shouts 'Close Guantánamo'

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:25 +0000

Click on the pictures to the right to watch a slideshow with images of the day.

More than simply a call for closure, Amnesty International once again presented the US government with the organization’s framework for ending illegal detentions, whether at Guantánamo or elsewhere. This time, the framework was supported by over 1,200 parliamentarians from around the world.

In some countries, including Belgium and Ireland, some of the parliamentarians accompanied Amnesty International activists at their events and demonstrations.

The infamous orange jumpsuit – closely associated with the inhumanity and illegality of Guantánamo – became once more the icon of this anniversary. There was also street theatre, poetry readings, the recreation of Guantánamo cells in city centres, speeches, rallies and cyber activism.

US military chief wants to close Guantánamo

On Sunday, two days after the anniversary, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Navy Admiral Michael Mullen became the latest US official to say that Guantánamo should be shut down.

“More that anything else, I just think it has been the image – how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States. I believe from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it’s been pretty damaging.”

What you can still do

Go to tearitdown.org and add your support to Amnesty International’s framework to end illegal US detentions.

Post a tearitdown banner in your website or blog.

World marks sixth anniversary of Guantánamo Bay

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:56:54 +0000

Amnesty International is leading worldwide events, rallies and meetings to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo Bay. People around the world will be taking action to seek the immediate closure of the detention centre and an end to all illegal detentions.

Amnesty International events for the anniversary will showcase the recently declassified “Poems from Guantánamo” in countries including Bahrain, Luxembourg, Denmark and Spain. An Amnesty International activist in Bahrain described the poetry reading as “another step forward in our struggle to let the voices of the detainees reach the world... We hope that this anniversary is the last one and that Guantánamo Bay is closed forever.”

Over 1,200 parliamentary representatives from many countries around the world have signed a declaration calling to end illegal detention by the US government carried out in the name of counter-terrorism. Hundreds signed from parliaments across continental Europe, the UK, and Israel – countries that are the staunchest US allies in the “war on terror”.

Other key events include:
UK: In London, there will be an all-night vigil around a replica Guantánamo cage, filled every hour with a new ‘captive’. The morning after will see a mass demonstration in front of the US embassy in London. Hundreds of protestors in orange jumpsuits will sit in stress positions under the eyes of faux US guards. Rallies will also be held at the US Consulate in Edinburgh and through the streets of Belfast.

When: 10-11 January 2008
Time: Vigil begins 5.30pm local time, 10 January. Demo begins 10.30am local time, 11 January
Where: US embassy, 24 Grosvenor Square, London W1A 1AE

USA: In Washington DC, Amnesty International members and other activists will gather on the National Mall dressed in orange jumpsuits to urge Congress and the Bush administration to shut down Guantánamo. Approximately 100,000 signatures from US citizens and the declaration signed by over 1,200 parliamentarians will be sent to the Bush administration and Presidential candidates.

When: 11 January 2008
Time: 11.00am - 12:30pm local time
Where: National Mall, Washington DC

Sweden: Central Stockholm will host the ‘Guantánamo Bay Luxury Resort’, with activists in jumpsuits leaning back in deckchairs among palm trees, sun and cocktails. In conjunction with the stunt, three Swedish parliamentarians and Director of AI Sweden will give speeches to stress the continuing plight of detainees at Guantánamo Bay.

When: 11 January 2008
Time: 4pm local time
Where: Norrmalmstorg, square in Central Stockholm

Ireland: Towns across the country will find lone participants dressed in orange jumpsuits, white facemasks and placards. Each "statue" will aim to highlight the issue of solitary confinement, while identifying a specific individual in Guantánamo. Other AI members will collect signatures on a petition to be delivered to the US Ambassador. There will also be a poetry competition launched for secondary school students, asked to create poems using only the materials available to prisoners in Guantánamo: white sheets, toilet rolls, plastic cups, etc.

Time: 5-11 January 2008
Where: Towns across Ireland

Bahrain: A poetry reading night will feature former detainees Abdulla Al-Noaimi, released from Guantánamo in 2005 and key contributor to the book "Poems from Guantánamo". Poems by Jumah al-Dossari will also be read.

When: Sat 12 January 2008
Time: 7.30pm local time
Where: Bahrain Human Rights Society

Paraguay: Amnesty International activists will gather at a square in central Asunción and stage a street theatre re-enactment of Guantánamo, as well as collecting more signatures for petitions to close the detention centre and to stop torture and rendition worldwide.

The Philippines: Amnesty International will host a motorcade and street drama demonstration near the US embassy in Manila, also aiming to mobilize supporters from the AI Philippines membership and the United Against Torture Coalition (UATC).

More events are planned in many other countries.