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Thursday, May 26, 2005
Oledan: Invisible tragedy
By Radzini Oledan
Slice of Life
"On May 12, a farmer was shot while climbing aboard a truck that was carrying evacuees to Diatagon. His wife, 21-year old Jessica, and his neighbors watched with horror as his body fell to the ground."
THE clashes between government troops and rebels in Mindanao continue to displace civilians and places in oblivion marginal groups such as indigenous peoples who are more vulnerable and unable to fully assert their rights.
For several years, Manobo villagers of Andap Valley, Surigao del Sur had been living in peace, able to fend for themselves and take initiative to better their lives until early this month when their communities was swooped down by government troops in hot pursuit of rebels.
Manobo residents of the communities of Lianga and nearby towns of San Miguel, San Agustin, Marihatag, Tago, Tandag and Lanuza were forced to seek refuge in the evacuation center.
For whatever reasons, the situation of the Manobo villagers in Surigao del Sur did not received adequate attention from civil society groups and government agencies as compared to the more publicized war in the central parts of Mindanao.
Yet, stories in the community reflects how a war between the armed groups and military perpetuates further abuse among the residents who are not only terrorized by the arms and bombs but of the condition where everyone of them are regarded as a suspect.
Human rights groups have monitored cases of farmers being tortured to pinpoint the exact location of the rebel group. One 17 year old farmer, Charlie Oclarit was subjected to "dry submarine", a form of torture done by putting cellophane on the head to suffocate the victim in order to make him yield to their questioning.
Several minors were also forced to act as guides for soldiers, a violation of an international agreement against using children as spies, couriers or even as guides in any military operation.
On May 2, five houses were set on fire in Palompon, San Agustin while other moutainous areas were bombed. Communities of Magkahunao and Yadawan were sprayed with bullets at daytime and bombed at night.
On May 5, families from Yadawan, Buhisan, San Agustin evacuated to Han-ayan while some fled to Diatagon.
On May 9, a howitzer posted at Pong-on, San Agustin rained bombs on Magkahunao, Lagangan, Caras-an and Tago, forcing more residents to flee their communities. The following day, 28 families deserted Magkahunao to Han-ayan and Diatagon.
By May 11, at least 87 families fled the hinterlands of Diatagon called Mambog and Manluy-a, Montenegreen, Marihatag, Kabuluhan, and Buhisan.
On May 12, a farmer was shot while climbing aboard a truck that was carrying evacuees to Diatagon. His wife, 21-year old Jessica, and his neighbors watched with horror as his body fell to the ground. A bullet wound was found below his right ribcage.
Close to 2,000 war-weary individuals are cramped in the elementary school and gymnasium in Diatagon in Lianga, while some 29 families or 173 individuals evacuated to Caras-an in Tago. Some 57 families or more than 300 individuals evacuated to Buhisan in San Agustin, while 166 families moved to Marihatag.
It remains to be a testament on how indigenous peoples struggle to maintain peace in their area only to be displaced again.
For the past decade, the lumads in Andap Valley struggled to rise from the militarization that ravaged their villages in the 1980s by forming during the mid 1990's a cooperative they called the "Malungtaron Pakigbisog Alang sa Sumusunod" to launch livelihood and literacy projects.
The assistance of the Diocese of Tandag and the Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur also enabled the residents to establish literacy schools and cooperatives.
Now, they have to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives again while trying to heal themselves and their impoverished community.
After all, Surigao del Sur remains to be the poorest of the provinces of Caraga.
Parishioners in the area said the operation may had something to do with the rich mineral deposits in the area--gold, coal, iron and chromite which are the targets for exploration and extraction by multinational business operations. For the past years, logging concessionaires operate in the whole province while a large portion is shifting their applications to mining.
The armed conflict may further drive our indigenous peoples away from their ancestral lands. They are faced with the dilemma of preserving their ties to their ancestral territories or fleeing towards remote areas where they cannot be easily detected.
Since the indigenous identity and culture are closely linked to the land, indigenous communities suffer serious irreversible damage when forcibly displaced: loss of traditional and cultural patterns, including language, and a dramatic deterioration of their lifestyle which affects the most vulnerable groups, such as children, youth and the elderly. These are the invisible tragedies.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 26, 2005 issue)
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