Lumads Strongly Condemn COPD of the 29th IB, PA
Statement of MAPASU:
We, lumad people residing in the communities of Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur, through our organization MAPASU (Continuing Struggle for the Next Generation) STRONGLY OPPOSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT (COPD) of the 29th IB, PA. Furthermore, WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THE VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE committed by the AFP under the command of Lt. Col. Henry A. Robinson, Jr., Battalion Commander of the 29th IBPA.
The more than 50 elements of the 29th IBPA who arrived last October 23, 2011 and stayed in Han-ayan and KM16, caused great distress among residents. The soldiers stayed among residents and without asking permission set up camp near houses. Ms. Caroline Khoubesserian, representative of the International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC), witnessed the military presence in the communities and houses of civilians when she arrived last October 25, 2011. The ICRC representative criticized the military’s actions. ICRC representative Caroline Khoubesserian told the soldiers that they are violating the rules of war and the rights of residents. Despite this, the military continued to stay in the community and houses of residents.
Thus, we declare our strong opposition against COPD, which, according to Lt. Collado during the community assembly last October 26, 2011, will be conducted in the three (3) Lumad communities of Km. 16, Km.15 and Km. 9. The community assembly was convened by the Alpha Company of the 29th IB, PA led by 1st Lt. Michael Collado and was held in KM16, Brgy. Diatagon. At the assembly, Lt. Collado stated that they will stay in the community among residents during the implementation of the COPD. We also expressed at the community assembly our strong demand for the military to leave the community as their presence is a threat to the residents’ safety and affects our livelihood. We made it clear that we will be forced to leave our communities if they deny such requests to demonstrate our opposition against COPD, their encampment in our communities and among residents and their objectives that are against to our desires and wishes.
In the face of the residents’ demands, 1st Lt. Collado made it clear at the second community assembly last October 28, 2011, that the military will not leave the community and that they will implement COPD. Military officers 1st Lt. Gomez and 2nd Lt. Pamplona also tried to convince the people to accept the implementation of COPD. The people maintained their opposition.
It is clear to us Lumads that the previous and current military operations of the 29th IB is aimed at organizing the Lumad people, arming us as para-military and establish military detachments in our communities through COPD to pave the way for the entry of mining companies. Mining companies have long been attempting to operate within our ancestral lands which we, the lumad people strongly oppose.
With the continuing presence of the 29th IB PA soldiers in our communities and houses which violates our human rights and the implementation of COPD, 154 Lumad families with 804 individuals collectively left the communities of Han-ayan, Mike, Kabulohan, New Kabulohan, KM16, KM14 and Yadawan last October 29, 2011. Under the intense heat of the sun, we carried our children, brought our farm animals, few of our household things and farm tools and walked towards barangay Diatagon. We did this to demonstrate our strong condemnation of the military’s action to implement the COPD in our communities.
We then collectively like to raise to the officials of barangay Diatagon, of Lianga, and of the Province of Surigao del Sur our objections to the military presence in our communities, houses and farmlands during operations. We would like to reiterate our opposition to the military’s COPD. We demand that civilian agencies of the government implement government projects in our communities. We strongly call for the respect of our human rights as Lumads and as people living peacefully in our respective mountain communities.
The violation of the human rights of the Lumad by the military is not new to us. Since 2004, military operation and counter-insurgency programs of the government has continually disrupted our developing livelihood, schools and lives. Always, military operations result in violations of the human rights of Lumads. Many of our sons and daughters, parents and relatives have been tortured, became victims of enforced disappearances and harassed in the course of military operations. We have been persecuted, our children’s education in the lumad schools disrupted, physically and economically dislocated, countless times. With every regress in our livelihood and distress brought about by the violation of our human rights during military operations, we will persist to struggle and defend our rights.
We will continue to strongly defend our Ancestral Lands for the next generations. We will oppose any “development” projects that will destroy nature.
Our collective strength as Lumad reflects our brighter future!
Reference:
Jalandoni Campos
Chairman, MAPASU Organisasyon
Han-ayan, Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur