DAVAO CITY (1 October)- After more than 25 years of armed conflict, the civil war in Sri Lanka ended in May 2009.

The military victory of the Sri Lankan government over the rebel Tamil Tigers is now touted by hardliners and hawks as a model for resolving festering armed conflicts in the world.  In fact, some government and military officials in the Philippines have been advocating the same “Sri Lanka solution” in ending the armed insurgencies in the country.

But did the conflict really end in Sri Lanka?  A gathering of peacebuilders from all over the world meeting in Davao City this week believes that this solution is not applicable nor even workable.  In fact, it would spell disaster if applied in the Philippine or Mindanao contexts.

Representatives from the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) met with peace advocates from Mindanao for Learning Sessions on Peacebuilding amidst Ethnic Differences, and Experiences with Early Warning and Early Response at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

Sri Lankan Professor Amal Jayawardane said that the Sri Lankan solution should not be a model for other nations seeking to achieve peace. Jayawardane, the Executive Director of the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) based in Colombo, Sri Lanka said that the conflict ended neither as a military victory nor with a successful peace agreement.

The Government of Sri Lanka declared victory in May this year over the secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when they captured the last remaining LTTE stronghold and killed their leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran, ending decades of bloody civil war. However, the defeat of the LTTE did not address the root causes of the conflict. It is essential to find a political solution for these urgently, Jayawardane said.

Other areas dealing with conflict can learn from the experience of what happened. The disengagement of the LTTE from the negotiations, left no other option for the government than an all-out military response. Jayawardane warned legitimate revolutionary armed groups in Mindanao, “If you want to prevent what happened in Sri Lanka from happening to you, it is essential to continue to engage in dialogue.” He at the same vein said that government must also leave room for the same.

The Learning Session was attended by participants from Burma, South Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam. GPPAC South Asia, Caucasus, Western Balkans and West Africa and the European Centre for Conflict Prevention, GPPAC Global Secretariat also took part in the session with members of the Mindanao Peaceweavers (MPW), an organization of civil society groups in Mindanao and Manila active in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

GPPAC is a world-wide civil society network that works to promote the importance of conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The Davao-based IID is the Regional Initiator of GPPAC in Southeast Asia. From September 30 – October 7 the different peacebuilders of GPPAC are meeting to update each other and plan its activities for the coming years. Part of this work is the need to learn from each others’ experiences.

The GPPAC delegates will also be visiting conflict-hit communities in Central and Southern Mindanao to interact with communities caught in the conflicts, local government and military officials and armed groups.

For further information:
Myra Principe
IID Communications Officer
(+63 82) 29925-74 and 2992575
Email: [email protected]

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of the Armed Conflict (GPPAC), a  global network of peacebuilders, is offering to join a body that is being set up to break the impasse in the peace process between the Philippine government (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and to also support and sustain it.

During his appearance in   the ABS-CBN’s regional morning TV show, Maayong Buntag Mindanao (Good Morning, Mindanao), earlier today. Gus Miclat of Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), which is the Regional Secretariat  for Southeast Asia of  GPPAC, said that GPPAC is offering itself as a potential member of the  the International Contact Group (ICG) of the GRP-MILF peace process.

Mr. Miclat said that GPPAC could share its experience and knowledge from peace processes in other conflicts  in its involvement with the ICG if chosen as a member. The ICG will be a body of   both governments and international non-government organizations that aims to restore the mutual trust between the  the GRP and MILF.

The GRP and the MILF both agreed to the formation of the ICG during their talks held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last September 15.

IID is hosting the annual meeting of the GPPAC-International Steering Group in Davao City, Manila and Jakarta between October 1-9, 2009. Around 55 peacebuilders from around the world  will come together. They will visit local communities in Mindanao, particularly those affected by the conflict, and meet with various local peace organizations, policymakers, donor and diplomatic communities in Manila. During their stay over the course of the meetings,the group hopes to meet both with President Macapagal-Arroyo and the MILF leadership to discuss issues of peace and  conflict prevention in general and specifically its offer to join the ICG. Following this, they will go to Jakarta to meet with Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.

Along with Mr. Miclat during the TV appearance  were TATJANA POPOVIC, Peace Education Programme Coordinator at Nansen Dialogue Centre – Serbia and MARTE HELLEMA, Programme Manager  Awareness Raising of the GPPAC Global Secretariat, the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP).

Ms. Popovic pointed out the  similarities between the conflicts in   Mindanao and the Western Balkans. She said that sharing experiences and approaches to conflict can be very beneficial for civil society organizations to develop more effective peacebuilding mechanisms,.

Ms. Hellema emphasized that  sharing and learning from each others’ experiences in conflict prevention and peacebuilding is indeed one of GPPAC’s key strengths. This is the capacity that the network would bring to the table if joining the ICG. “Together we can make peace possible. Also for Mindanao.”

We, the undersigned leaders of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), Inc., condemn the bad timing and indiscriminate way by which military operations were launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Philippine Marines, in barangays Kagay, Marang, Bud Timahu, Laum Siang, all part of the municipality of Indanan, Sulu on September 20, 2009.

We, the undersigned leaders of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), Inc., condemn the bad timing and indiscriminate way by which military operations were launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the Philippine Marines, in barangays Kagay, Marang, Bud Timahu, Laum Siang, all part of the municipality of Indanan, Sulu on September 20, 2009.

According to local sources, this operation commenced with artillery fire from such areas as Bud Kagay and Bud Tumantangis where US troops who are part of the Balikatan exercises are known to be positioned, among others. This was followed up by an airstrike composed of bombs from OV-10 planes and rocket launchers from helicopters. The air strike was said to have lasted for eight (8) hours.

Although we acknowledge that this operation was against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), we question the procedure by which the Philippine Marines had made such an operation. We also question its timing. As part of the civil society sector, the foremost concern of CBCS are the safety and security of civilians.

Many civilians live in the targeted barangays. While during the kidnapping of ICRC volunteers, the military exerted all efforts to coordinate with local government officials and barangay chairmen and even exacted their support to ensure that the lives of the three kidnap victims not put to more risk, now the military did not make such effort of coordinating with the local chief executives to ensure the safety of the civilians prior to the operations.

This clear and obvious lapse, or even disregard, to procedure has caused the displacement of about two thousand (2,000) families. People whose safety and lives the military are supposed to protect. They are now found in Buansa Talatak, Indanan.

A high level of precision, competence, efficiency, and sense of humanity is expected of government agencies that are authorized to have their personnel carry weapons that have the ability to threaten the lives of people. If this military operation is another of the AFP’s “surgical operations”, then we do not consider it as “surgical” enough. We have yet to see a surgical operation done by the military that is true to form. What may be “surgical” to the AFP is seen as “very messy” to the general public.

The military operation was also done at the very time when the civilians in the targeted areas were busy preparing food and about to go to prayer to celebrate the holy day of Eid’l Fitr. Because of the operations, they were unable to perform their religious obligations and instead had to flee for their lives. This action is seen as a blatant disrespect to Islam, the religion and way of life of the Bangsamoro people.

We hate to think that this is a grandiose design by some ranking men in uniform to sabotage the impending resumption of the GRP-MILF peace talks and the tripartite review of the implementation of the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement. Likewise, we hate to think that this is a part of a grand plot to derail the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming national elections. Moreover, we hate to think that this situation will ultimately escalate to mindset the general public that there is a threat to national security, validating future potential moves for the military to take power under the pretext of protecting the state.

We, therefore, call on HE Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to take strong action in disciplining her troops in Sulu and to be vigilant as Civilian President and be watchful of her generals in her capacity as Commander in Chief of the AFP. If indeed the government sees all in Mindanao as part of its constituency, regardless of religion, then these people have the right to have their safety and lives protected by the military. They have the right not to be mistreated, or not to be treated as collateral damage. They also have the right to be respected of their religion and religious practices.

Signed this 21st day of September, 2009 at Cotabato City, Southern Philippines.

(sgd.)                                                      (sgd.)

SAMMY P. MAULANA                    TEMOGEN “Cocoy” TULAWIE

Secretary-General                            Chairperson, CBCS Lupah Sug Region

(Sulu)

(sgd.)                                                       (sgd.)

NATHAN B. INSUNG                        MUNIB KAHAL

Chairperson,                                  Chairperson, CBCS Samboangan Region

CBCS Basilan Region                    (Western Zamboanga Peninsula)

(sgd.)                                              (sgd.)

SULTAN MAGUID MARUHOM         DR. DIPUNUDUN MARUHOM

Chairperson,                                  Chairperson, CBCS Ranaw Region

CBCS Sibugay Region                   (Lanao)

(Eastern Zamboanga Peninsula)

(sgd.)                                              (sgd.)

RAHIB KUDTO                                SAMAON BUAT

Chairperson,                                   Chairperson, CBCS Dabaw Region

CBCS Kutawato Region                  (Davao)

(Cotabato)

(sgd.)

OSCAR SULAIMAN

Chairperson, CBCS Rajah Buayan

(SOCSKSARGEN)