Citizens’ Peace Watch

A broad coalition of NGOs, social movements, and political parties from Mindanao and the rest of the country today called for all US military deployments in Mindanao suspended pending the conclusion of a fair and thorough probe by lawmakers.

The Citizens’ Peace Watch, a group formed to monitor what it fears as the growing and permanent US military presence in the South, reiterated its recommendations from a fact-finding mission it conducted in Zamboanga City and Sulu last February. Members of the mission claim to have seen with their own eyes — and to have pictures of — the US’ military structures inside Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.

"The information coming out today about the US military presence in the south confirm what we have been saying all along for many months now," says Corazon Fabros, one of the group’s spokespersons. "It is high time to look into them because the government’s excuse is becoming more and more ludicrous while the situation is getting more and more dangerous."

The group stressed the following findings from its fact-finding mission (which can be downloaded from:

http://www.focusweb.org/philippines/docs/CPWReport.pdf

= that the US is involved in actual combat operations in the country

= that the US is conducting operations outside the control of the Philippine government and military

= US basing and intervention in the country is contributing to insecurity and leading to an escalation in conflict

"In light of the constitutional violations and actual danger to lives and human rights, the Citizens’ Peace Watch challenges our elected representatives to take the initiative to demand and conduct Congressional and Senate inquiries into the issue and demands the suspension of US military deployment to the Philippines, specifically the stationing of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines as well as the military exercises, pending fair and independent review of and investigations on their presence and intervention," the coalition said.

MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS’ PEACE WATCH:

Akbayan! Party-list - http://www.akbayan.org/

Alyansa ng Kabataan sa Mindanao para sa Kapayapaan

Anak Mindanao Party List - http://www.anakmindanao.com/

Balay Rehabilitation Center - http://130.227.3.66/usr/irct/home.nsf/unid/JREW-5MSCUJ

Bangsamoro Women’s Foundation

Citizen’s Coalition for Human Rights

Focus on the Global South - http://www.focusweb.org

KaisaKa - http://www.genuinesecurity.org/partners/kaisaka.htm

Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya - http://kilusan-para-sa-pambansang-demokrasya.blogspot.com/

Lanao Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

Mindanao Peoples Caucus - http://mindanaopeoplescaucus.org/

Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement - http://www.mppm.info/

Mindanao Tri-People Women Forum

Moro Human Rights Center - http://kalilintad.tripod.com/moro_human_rights_center.htm

Muslim Women’s Organization

Peace Women Partners

Peacebuilders Community - http://www.peacebuilderscommunity.org/  

Pinay Kilos

Resource Center for People’s Development

STOP the War Coalition Philippines

Sumpay Mindanao - http://www.sumpaymindanao.org/

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines - http://www.tfdp.net/

Tulong Lupah Sug, Inc