Philippines: The impact of exclusion on the Moro peace process
New Delhi: The Asian Centre for Human
Rights (ACHR) today in its latest Briefing Paper, “Philippines: The impact of
exclusion on the Moro peace process” stated that the exclusion of
the indigenous peoples led to the collapse of the peace process between the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government of Philippines. About 300 people have been killed and over
650000 displaced in more than two months of fighting between security forces
and alleged renegades of the MILF. On 14 October 2008, the Supreme Court of
Philippines declared the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the MILF and the Philippines government as “against the law and Constitution”.
ACHR states, “If the MOA-AD had been signed on 5 August
2008, it would have meant loss of at least 1 million hectares of Ancestral
Domains belonging to the non-Bangsamoro indigenous peoples i.e. Erumanen ne
Menuvù of Cotabato and Bukidnon provinces; Higaunon of Lanao del Norte
province; and the Subanen of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga de Sibugay and
Zamboanga del Sur provinces to the Bongsomoro Juridical Entity. Once their
Ancestral Domains are included in the Bongsomoro Juridical Entity, these
indigenous communities would have been deprived of all legal rights and
protection available to them under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997”.
“The experiences of the indigenous communities
of Teduray, Lambangian and Dulangan Manobo of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat
provinces whose Ancestral Domains of 400,000 hectares were included in the
existing Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has not been encouraging
as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 is not applicable in the ARMM.” –
stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of ACHR.
“The collapse of the peace talks with
the MILF provides an opportunity for both parties to address inherent flaws –
non inclusion of indigenous Lumad people who are Christians unlike the
Bangsamoros. The non-inclusion is not only a flaw in the peace process but
constitutes a clear violation of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997.” –
further stated Mr Chakma.
ACHR recommended to the government of
Philippines and the MILF to implement the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act of 1997 including the right to free, prior and informed
consent in letter and spirit; include Chairperson of the National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines in the Peace Secretariat of the
government of Philippines; delineate Ancestral Domains of the non-Muslim indigenous
communities; and include representatives of the indigenous Lumads in any peace
negotiation between the Government and the MILF in future.
[End]