PAKIUSAP NG MGA BAKWIT | 'Pull out military from our communities'

From InterAksyon (Mar 23): PAKIUSAP NG MGA BAKWIT | 'Pull out military from our communities'



Residents hold a rally asking that the fighting between government forces and the BIFF stop, 23 March 2015. PHOTO FROM SUARA BANGSAMORO

Thousands of internally displaced people gathered this morning in Maguindanao to call for the pull out of the military in its offensive actions against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Authorities have said that more than 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes due to the fighting.

IDPs are colloquially called bakwit, from the word evacuation.

According to non-government organization Suara Bangsamoro, nine houses and two mosques were razed in Barangay Pamalian, Shariff Aguak in the early morning of March 18 after the Marines and the Army hit them with cannons and mortars.

Jerome Aba, Suara Bangsamoro spokesman, said that several IDPs complained that the houses they left due to the fighting have been ransacked. He said some civilians were also injured in the ongoing battle.

Ceasefire call

For the third time since the government implemented a military offensive against the BIFF, affected residents and other civil society organizations marched from Maguindanao to the Human Rights Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in Cotabato City to call for a stop in the firefighting.

They are hoping that their request would be heeded.

The military, on the other hand, is prepared to declare a ceasefire starting tomorrow, Tuesday, until Thursday.

The ceasefire is to allow the graduation of students in the area, said Army Capt. Joanne Petinglay, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division.

Students and teachers in Maguindanao are also scheduled to hold a Peace Caravan in the affected towns.

The Peace Caravan is to express their wish and hope for long-term peace, said Maguindanao Divison Supt Bai Meriam Kawit.



No to all-out war" is among the calls of residents of Maguindanao affected by the fighting. PHOTO FROM SUARA BANGSAMORO

More aid need for displaced - UNHCR

In Geneva, the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern for 120,000 people who have been displaced since late January, particularly for the safety of women and children who could be exposed to exploitation and abuse.

“UNHCR [Office for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] appeals to all parties of the conflict to ensure the safety of civilians while the law and order operation is underway,” the agency’s spokesperson, Babar Baloch, told reporters at a press briefing in Geneva.

The agency and its partners estimate that 13 municipalities in the areas of Maguindanao and North Cotabato in central Mindanao have been affected in eight weeks of clashes between the military and police on one side, and the non-state armed group, BIFF, on the other.

An estimated 120,000 displaced people are now sheltering in schools, public buildings, and madaris, it said, adding that the estimate does not include people hosted by relatives and friends, and the numbers are expected to grow as the fighting extends to the local communities that are already hosting many of the displaced, Baloch said.

UNHCR cannot access many of the affected areas and relies on information provided by local authorities, civil society organizations, and partners, he said.

Humanitarian agencies, including UNHCR, in Mindanao are working closely with the local authorities to monitor the conditions of displaced people inside and outside the shelters.

“We have provided some blankets, jerry cans, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and plastic sheets, but more aid is needed urgently,” Baloch said.

“UNHCR is particularly concerned about the safety of civilians, including women and children who are caught up in the conflict areas,” he said. “It is unclear how long or widely the ongoing law and order operation will extend and this is hindering the safe and dignified return of the displaced people.”

He went on to say that “women and children could potentially be exposed to exploitation and abuse, given their lack of income and community protection. The limited provision of food, medicine, water and temporary shelter could exacerbate these vulnerabilities.”
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/107474/pakiusap-ng-mga-bakwit--pull-out-military-from-our-communities