Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Moro group urges resumption of talks By Malu Cadelina Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The militant party-list Suara Bangsamoro has called on the government and the Moro rebels to return to the negotiating table so that ceasefire can be effected sooner.
Abubakar Uy, secretary-general of Suara Bangsamoro, has expressed concern of the possible "impact" if both parties would not pay attention to the unrelenting calls for them to go back to the tables for peace talks.
When both parties start to talk peace, he said, the fighting in the South will cease.
"But if they won't listen to our calls, more and more people would be affected by the wars," the group said.
The Kawagib, a Moro human rights group, said the postponement of the 14th exploratory talks of the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was supposed to be held last week in Malaysia, allegedly showed insincerity on the part of the government to address the Moro problem.
This was the second time the talks were postponed. The first was in May this year.
"The postponement and the inclusion of the 67 MILF members in the warrant of arrest are sending signals that the government is also running after them not only after the Abu Sayyaf Group," said Kawagib's secretary-general Sittie Sundang.
Kawagib said civilians have been affected by indiscriminate firings, aerial bombardment, and were harassed by military by tagging them as sympathizers, if not members of the Abu Sayyaf.
To date, more than a thousand families from Basilan and Sulu were already displaced by the fighting.
Also, the group has urged the Senate to pursue its investigation on the claims made by Senator Antonio Trillanes III regarding the July 10 ambush in Basilan that killed 14 Marine soldiers, 10 of whom were mutilated by suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf.
Uy said they just want "truth" to come out.
"Until now, it's not clear as to who are responsible for the beheadings and mutilations of soldiers last July 10; thus, there is necessity to conduct deeper investigation to it," said Uy.
The group also wants to know if indeed the Marines were "sacrificed" to justify the full military offensives in Basilan and Sulu, as claimed by Trillanes.
As of last week, the Jaga (a Tausug term for "watch") Human Rights group has documented 1,197 internally displaced families from the towns of TIpo-Tipo, Al-Barka and Ungkaya Pukan.
"We fear for another massive illegal arrests and abductions," he said.
