NAPC-YS STATEMENT AGAINST AN ALL OUT WAR
All out peace, not all out war!

We condemn to the highest order the killing of the 19 soldiers in Al Barka, Basilan.  The senseless deaths of thousands of people and destruction since the beginning of the Mindanao conflict almost 40 years ago must stop. We mourn for all the victims of this war in Mindanao—the families of the fallen, the deaths of the innocent women, children and youth, and the loss of lives and livelihood.

As the 2005 Human Development Report shows, the ARMM and the war-torn areas of Mindanao registered the lowest human development index scores in the country. Armed conflict prevents development approaches from taking root in the fertile lands of Mindanao. At the same time, historical injustices and underdevelopment feed the armed struggles. Countless youth and children have both been victims as well as perpetrators of the armed conflict. We declare that the resolution of the age-old armed conflict in Mindanao must be a top national priority. We call for the following:

Prevent an All-Out War

The Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front must arrive at a politically-negotiated settlement and resolve the Mindanao issue once and for all. The numerous calls for an all-out war is a setback not just to the peace situation in Mindanao but also to the development initiatives and anti-poverty programs in the war-torn communities. Deescalate the violence now.

An all out war approach takes its toll not just on the MILF combatants but penultimately to the peoples of Mindanao—the innocent civilian communities of Indigenous Peoples, Muslims and even Christians. A World Bank study in 2005 showed that the budget for war is approximately 10 million pesos a day. Military spending channels  saps this valuable resource from human development programs of the most vulnerable communities.

Primacy of the Peace Process

The peace talks must be the primary option for the injustices of the peoples of Mindanao. Notwithstanding, the process of reforms and negotiations are slow, it is by far the best way to go. The all-out war policies in 2001, 2004 and 2008 never fully resolved the issue and feeds into the vicious cycle of violence. We must look at the long-term effect of this call to arms. An efforntery call for an out war to avenge the fallen in Basilan is reckless and inconsiderate of the plight of the innocent Mindanaoan peoples. In 2008, the war triggered a humanitarian catastrophe with 600,000 internally-displaced persons. We urge the government, the MILF and the public to put primacy to the peace process and not on a knee-jerk all out war.

Reaffirm the Ceasefire and its Mechanisms

An immediate international and independent probe on the recent Basilan incident must take place immediately, We call on the government and the MILF to reaffirm the ceasefire agreement and its corresponding mechanisms such as the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and prevent another humanitarian crisis.

ALL OUT PEACE NOT ALL OUT WAR IN MINDANAO!

For inquiries or support for the statement, contact:
Nikki Delfin
Secretariat Coordinator, Generation Peace
Member, NAPC-Youth and Students Sectoral Council
generationpeacenetwork@gmail.com

Signed:

National Anti-Poverty Commission Youth And Students Sectoral Assembly
Generation Peace Youth Network
GAYon LGBT Albay
Student Council Alliance of the Philippines
Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, Inc.
SK Reform Coalition
Akbayan Youth
Coalition for Students Rights and Welfare

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