In adherence to international law and the BIAF’s Code of Conduct, otherwise known as General Order No. 01, approved on December 14, 2005, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) released a partial 69 children identified as “Child Warriors’ in a ceremony at Bangsamaoro Leadership and Management Institute (BLMI) ground, Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao on February 18.
The MILF has about 1000 plus child soldiers, some of whom are orphans, children of displaced persons, out-of-school youth and children of civilians supportive of the Moro struggle for right to self-determination. The released children are members of the BIAF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Women’s Auxiliary brigade (BIWAB).
This act of the MILF is in accordance with United Nations-MILF Action Plan signed in 2009 and extended until 2009.
MILF-BIAF Chief of Staff Sammy Al-Mansour in his opening statement assured the protection of children from effects of war.
He said that, “BIAF’s commitments to U.N. Laws where children who are associated with the military arm of MILF are separated from the Moro Front”.
He said that the MILF ceased to recruit children below eighteen (18) years of age for quite sometimes.
He even raised a copy of the Code of Conduct to show proof that such actually exist and adhered to by the BIAF.
In his message, MILF 1st Vice Chairman and Chairman of the reconstituted Bangsamoro Transition Commission Ghazali Jaafar congratulated the UNICEF for their efforts and successful mission.
He said that in line with the international law, part of military policies and Code of Conduct of the BIAF includes the commitment to ensure that no child ‘below eighteen’ is used as a child soldier.
Such a commitment, according to Jaafar reflects the instruction of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) of not harming the women, children, the elderly, the religious individuals and their churches or temples, and the animals, as well as of not destroying the source of living, the source of water, and the source of food of the people.
Jaafar told the audience that the MILF Central Committee has directed its military organs, through its Chief of Staff, to directly observe such policy and commitment and to consistently abide and uphold the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the Declaration of Commitment to the Action Plan Policy on the Non- recruitment of Children under Article 3 of the UN Declaration signed by the MILF leadership.
Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Country representative to the Philippines stressed in her message that “children are the most important of all and should not be allowed to suffer from ravages of war”.
“Children pay the hardest price caught in conflict that decision makers hold the key in their hands. They should be going to school, playing, rejoin with other children”, she said. Sylwander considered children affected by conflict are some of most vulnerable children in the world.
She told the audience that there is a commitment from the MILF High Command to abide with U.N. law. The MILF, she said is the only armed group that identified and separated children from war, who ensures that children are disengaged, educated, and ensure their rights.
Sylwander considered children affected by conflict are some of most vulnerable children in the world.
OPAPP secretary Jess Dureza urged everyone to ‘shoot for peace’.
“We should not shoot each other”. It is time to unite, that there should be love among the AFP, MILF, MNLF, etc, Dureza emphasized.
Dureza said, “We are going towards peace, stressing that there is peace forever under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration”.
Major Gen. Datuk Wira Zambrose Bin Mohd. Zain , Head of IMT-Mission 11, OPAPP Officials, AFP high ranking officials, Officers of the BIAF, Heads of BDA, BLMI and representatives of non-government organizations (NGO’s) attended the historic ceremony.
http://www.luwaran.net/home/index.php/news/20-central-mindanao/1078-milf-releases-partial-69-child-warriors-in-ceremony-at-blmi
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.