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Peoples' Petition for Peace in Mindanao

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Target: Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim
Sponsored by: Duyog Mindanao

The crisis in Mindanao is grave.

The situation on the ground has all the more deteriorated following the debacle on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain: the government's ongoing punitive actions against elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front allegedly involved in attacks in Lanao and North Cotabato following the botched signing of the MOA-AD deal last August 5.

As usual, innocent civilians suffer the brunt of the hostilities while government has denied, if not ignored the gravity of the humanitarian crisis. The fact remains that there are now more than half a million people %u2013 internally displaced persons - who are bearing the burden of the ongoing armed conflict. The international community has affirmed this. This staggering figure does not even include the casualties of your combatants and the telling and long-term effects of the violence on our children and youth who are inheriting this country.

As we dread a catastrophic humanitarian situation, we would like to appeal to your Excellency, Madam President to immediately declare a suspension of military operations (SOMO) and allow the mechanisms on the ceasefire agreement with the MILF to work again in addressing culpability and bring to justice those found guilty of violations from the MILF side as your government allege. We ask this in the context of your own policy on the primacy of the peace process as contained in your Executive Order in 2003.

Dear Madam President and Chairman Murad,

The crisis in Mindanao is grave.

The situation on the ground has all the more deteriorated following the debacle on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain: the government's ongoing punitive actions against elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front allegedly involved in attacks in Lanao and North Cotabato following the botched signing of the MOA-AD deal last August 5.

As usual, innocent civilians suffer the brunt of the hostilities while government has denied, if not ignored the gravity of the humanitarian crisis. The fact remains that there are now more than half a million people - internally displaced persons - who are bearing the burden of the ongoing armed conflict. The international community has affirmed this. This staggering figure does not even include the casualties of your combatants and the telling and long-term effects of the violence on our children and youth who are inheriting this country.

As we dread a catastrophic humanitarian situation, we would like to appeal to your Excellency, Madam President to immediately declare a suspension of military operations (SOMO) and allow the mechanisms on the ceasefire agreement with the MILF to work again in addressing culpability and bring to justice those found guilty of violations from the MILF side as your government allege. We ask this in the context of your own policy on the primacy of the peace process as contained in your Executive Order in 2003.

We also appeal to the leadership of the MILF to initiate and cooperate in finding a just resolution of alleged violations of so-called "rogue" elements from your ranks. We urge you to demonstrate your firm resolve and commitment to peace by reining in all your forces and constituents and prove that indeed you are sincere in negotiating for a peaceful settlement of the Mindanao conflict.

Madam President and Mr. Chairman, we trust you both know that violence committed by any parties in conflict cannot be resolved by another, if not, increased form of violence. We all know that this will be a never ending cycle that will only bring this country to the brink of destruction. We pray that you will both not allow this to happen.

Madam President, we hope that you will not want this to be your legacy. We note with hope your recent overtures for the resumption of the peace talks with the MILF, but we would also like to see that such pronouncements be accompanied at once with a concrete and positive sign of reaching out. The immediate declaration of a SOMO could be one such confidence-building gesture and will demonstrate government's sincerity in finding a just resolution to the conflict and genuine peace in Mindanao.

Chairman Murad, we also reiterate our appeal and challenge to the MILF to give your share in creating an atmosphere for dialogue and initiate conditions to tread the tedious path to peace.

We likewise call on other parties, our national and local political and religious leaders, to set aside partisan and selfish interests and agendas and listen not only to your own constituents but more so to the whispers and voices, the wails of despair, the fears and hopes of the thousands of victims of this conflict so as to better and more comprehensively understand Mindanao.

We likewise appeal to the media, our fellow citizens not to me make any hasty conclusions about this conflict and seek out the truth through an impassioned understanding and discussion of the issues specially with those involved in the tiff.

We should also be mindful of the agenda of so-called "spoilers" or other third parties that want to fan this conflict for their own gain.

There can never be genuine dialogue in an atmosphere of hostility.

We also call on the donor and international community for their continuing solidarity and accompaniment as they pay heed to the situation in the island. Please assist to help nudge the warring parties back to the negotiating table.

As ordinary citizens, civilians, peace advocates coming from all over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, we hereby commit to the challenge of building and uniting for peace, especially in light of the re-surfacing of biases and prejudices among and between peoples of Mindanao and the rest of the citizenry.

We will do our best in helping bridge divisions; enlighten our families, friends, neighbors and communities about the real Mindanao story based on our own enriching interaction, encounter and experience in this Peoples' Caravan for Peace and Solidarity.

This petition is our own humble way of hopefully contributing to immediately put an end to the armed hostilities.

Madam President, Chairman Murad, PLEASE STOP THE WAR IN MINDANAO and RETURN TO YOUR PEACE TALKS!

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