Position Paper: On the ongoing intensive militarization and resulting dislocation of Lumad-Mamanwa in Agusan Del Norte and Surigao Del Norte

In 2011, Caraga region has suffered from heightened militarization, continuing and ever increasing in intensity since February this year. Combat operations are accompanied by bombings and aerial strikes targeting mountain areas where lumad communities live.

In the mountain areas of Cabadbaran and Kitcharao in Agusan del Norte and Alegria in Surigao del Norte military elements from the 30th and 38th IBPA and the 3rd Special Forces of the 402nd Brigade encamped in civilian communities, occupying public places, even staying in civilian houses with the residents. Hypervigilance of soldiers in combat mode has resulted in holding civilians at gunpoint, using them as shields and indiscriminately firing highpower firearms at populated areas. In Brgy. Ferlda, Alegria, a sleeping soldier woken by gunfire indiscriminately fired his weapon towards the house of Felix Paclapan, riddling the kitchen with bullets.

Indiscriminate aerial strikes and bombings were launched near communities and in hunting grounds in the tri-boundary area of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Sur, putting the lives of residents in these communities at great risk. On March 5, 2012 two aerial strikes and bombings were launched dropping a total of 8 bombs from fighter planes and spraying countless bullets. Another aerial strike was launched on March 6, 2012 which dropped 4 bombs and again sprayed countless bullets.

Before these military operations, we, the indigenous communities in Caraga, have lived peacefully, practicing our culture and traditions as lumad people. We have developed our livelihood and capabilities to sustain our way of life while protecting our ancestral lands for the next generation. Some of our communities have established lumad schools so our children can be educated. Militarization has time and again disrupted our efforts to better ourselves.

Amidst these challenges, we of the Kahugpungan sa Lumadnong Organisasyon sa Caraga (KASALO-Caraga) strongly condemn the intense militarization of our ancestral domain, especially of our mountain communities. Combat operations especially those accompanied by massively destructive bombings and airstrikes have put our lives in constant danger, stunted the development of our communities, disrupted our cultural practices and traditions and destroyed landmarks of our heritage.

As these intensive military operations are implemented in mountain areas rich in mineral resources and at a time when mining and other investments are about to operate, we have come to the conclusion that these are clearing operations and means of suppressing our resistance against such incursions onto our ancestral lands. We therefore demand that our rights as lumad people be upheld and our right to our ancestral lands and our well-being be put above that of mining companies and big business. We have seen the destruction large-scale mining has brought to other communities – ecosystems are destroyed, people and livelihoods displaced. We will continue to struggle against such destruction of our ancestral lands.

We support the decision of our fellow lumad to demand an end to militarization of civilian communities. Contrary to what the military claims that their counter-insurgency campaign Oplan Bayanihan would bring development, it has so far only resulted in the displacement of mountain communities, most of whom are lumad-Mamanwas. Unable to go to their farms to gather food or hunt and facing hunger and danger daily, 233 families with 787 individuals evacuated to neighboring communities. More than half of the evacuees are women and children with 10 pregnant, 35 nursing mothers and 165 children. Some hiked 8 kilometers of muddy and stony trails, others 18 kilometers while others took a day of walking through forested areas to evade danger, leaving harvest-ready farms which will go to waste and ransacked houses and stores.

The lack of food in their communities because of military operations and the threat of airstrikes and the uncertain living conditions in evacuation centers pushed them, victims of militarization, to proceed to Butuan City, Caraga region’s center of government, to seek support and assistance from the government, seeking sanctuary, seeking peace.

In the face of this, KASALO – Caraga, with Kayapan – Amihan, its local intermunicipal organization in the Municipalities of Kitcharao, Jabonga and Santiago, together with representatives from other Mamanwa communities in Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte, strongly call on concerned government agencies and officials to:

1. Immediately provide assistance to the evacuees in different evacuation sites in Agusan del Norte. For decades the people of Caraga, the government and local and foreign resource extraction companies have benefitted from the resources of the mountains, resources from our ancestral lands. We, the lumad people have not been able to benefit so much from the extraction of these resources by big business. With the present dislocation of our livelihood thus our lack of food, shelter and other needs, we ask for assistance until we can safely return to our communities.

2. Facilitate the end to militarization to expedite the return of the evacuees. Immediately stop militarization in the countryside. Testimonies of evacuees tell of the fear, harassment and threat to lives experienced during the recent military operations. While the military declare that they do not enter civilian communities during military operations as it is a violation of human rights, our experience expose these as lies – we have lived with armed military men encamped in the midst of our communities, in public places and even living in our homes with their rifles put beside our children. We would like to return to our communities and livelihood, but we will feel safe only when the military leave our communities. However, they have declared continuing operations despite our protests. They (military) should be made to abide by the laws on human rights, punish those who violate these and stop victimizing the civilian population.

3. Uphold the right to life, stop bombing and shelling civilian communities and farm areas. As long as indiscriminate firing, bombings and airstrikes continue, our very lives remain in grave danger. We cannot farm, hunt and earn our livelihood, which spells hunger, making our lives, especially that our children, in constant threat of diseases. The displacement of our lumad communities is virtual genocide as we are driven away from our ancestral lands which has given us life and upon which our cultural heritage is founded.

4. Support the call for the resumption of peace talks between the GPH and NDFP. This is the only way that the root causes of the armed conflict can be addressed. Rules of engagement dictate that we, as civilians, be treated as such and not as enemy forces of the AFP. We are not the NPA. We are civilians. It is our right to demand respect from AFP soldiers. Although they say that they are there to protect us, the present conduct of the combat military operations of the AFP in our communities has put us in danger, relegating the destruction of our farms, homes and ancestral lands and disruption of our communities as mere collateral damage in their counterinsurgency war. We believe that peace talks can be an effective means to come up with long term solutions to the war in our midst.

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