Friday, September 05, 2008 Creation of new peace panel urgent: Councilor
DAVAO City Councilor Karlo Bello said it is urgent to select the new members of the government peace panel so that negotiations can resume immediately.
"The scrapping of the peace panel should not lead to the scrapping of the peace talks. We must continue the negotiations. Peace in the whole of Mindanao is necessary for Davao's social, political and economic stability. Hopefully, the members of the peace panel will be replaced immediately so that negotiations can start again," said Bello.
He added that in the event peace negotiations start again, military operations should cease.
"All non-violent means to achieve peace and unity must be pursued," Bello said.
While Bello still sees hope with a revamped peace panel, women's group Gabriela sees the dissolution of the panel as "tantamount to a declaration of an all-out war against the Bangsamoro people".
"The Arroyo government's obstinacy, all the while ignoring the legitimate demands of the Bangsamoro does not bring the conflict anywhere near resolution," the group said in a statement sent Thursday.
According to Gabriela, this move by Malacañang does not bode well for Mindanaoan internal refugees, mostly women and children who have fled their homes and livelihood because of the conflict.
"The AFP's increased deployment of troops and the arming of civilians, President Arroyo's DDR approach of disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation to the resolution of conflict and finally this dissolution of the peace panel, all speak clearly of the Arroyo government's militarist solution to the ongoing conflict in Mindnanao," Gabriela's statement said.
