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"Bantay Ceasefire":
Grassroots Ceasefire Monitoring in Mindanao
From January 6-12, 2003, I was fortunate to be asked
to join, as an international observer, the “Bantay
Ceasefire” mission on the island of Mindanao, Southern
Philippines, organized by the Initiatives for International
Dialogue and the Mindanao Peoples Caucus. This investigative
mission in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao, Sultan
Kudarat and Cotabato was prompted by, first, the reported
violations of the ceasefire in these areas; and second,
the apparent failure of the GRP-MILF peace talks to develop
an effective monitoring mechanism for the ceasefire.
In the introduction to the ceasefire report, the organizers
mentioned that:
"The success of future peace talks rests largely on
mutual confidence and trust between the two parties to
observe previous agreements. Thus, a secure environment
is a pre-requisite for the impending questions of development,
ancestral domain and a politically negotiated settlement.
A secure environment is also essential to the thousands
that live, and the many businesses that operate, in the
conflict areas."
It is argued that without this secure environment, the
efforts at bringing peace to Mindanao, even with the
existence of a ceasefire agreement will be futile. The
people of Mindanao feel that something must be done to
investigate and highlight possible cases of violation
of the ceasefire. It is thus that this mission was created.
In short, the “Bantay Ceasefire” objectives
are as follow:
| 1. |
to assess the state of the ceasefire
implementation between the GRP and the MILF; |
| 2. |
to assess the status of the local monitoring
teams (the monitoring instruments created through
GRP-MILF negotiations); |
| 3. |
to investigate skirmishes in the provinces of
Maguindanao, Lanao, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato and
their effects on the safety of civilians; and, |
| 4. |
to recommend mechanisms for effective ceasefire
monitoring and implementation |
Sixty delegates composed of Lumad, Settlers and Bangsamoro
grassroots leaders in Mindanao conducted the investigation,
accompanied by 10 international observers from Australia,
Germany, Indonesia, East Timor, USA, and Malaysia.
The experience was a very enlightening one for me. I
was assigned to assist the group going to the Maguindanao
province. There were 17 members in our group representing
various organizations affiliated with the Mindanao People’s
Caucus, as well as three observers, one each from Malaysia,
Australia, and Timor Leste. We started our journey in
Cotabato before going on to other areas around Maguindanao.
Our daily activities usually started with a briefing
before separating into two groups going to designated
areas in the province. We interviewed various groups
of people, including Mayors, army officers, MILF leaders
and troops, local leaders, villagers, and refugees. Some
of the sights were very sad, especially where refugees
and other IDPs are concerned. It made me think about
the horrors of war and the effects that it has, especially
on the victims. Everyday the group would come together
to share notes about our daily activities and findings.
The stories being told were all the same – violations
of the ceasefire involving all the sides and the conditions
of the refugees. However, the group managed to maintain
a high level of spirit throughout the mission, despite
witnessing the sufferings and frustrations of people
involved in a war situation. I made many friends during
this mission and can’t wait to go back to Mindanao.
I was struck by the friendliness and spirit of both the
people involved in organizing the mission, as well as
the people of Mindanao. To the Mindanao People’s
Caucus, and especially the Initiative for International
Dialogue, congratulations on a mission well done. To
the people of Mindanao, whichever group you belong to,
our heart and our hopes are with you. May peace prevail.
‘Zam’
Kamarulzaman Askandar
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