News Release
September 06, 2008

IDPs afraid to go home because of the stalled peace talk; HR group calls stop Human Rights Violations

North Cotabato- Progressive and human rights organizations give assistance to internally displaced persons in Annex 2 Evacuation Center in Pikit, North Cotabato. 300 families stay here since July, only few of them, 20 families returned to their communities. Most of them from Brgy. Dalingaoen, Nalapaan, Pagangan and Tapudok, among barangays affected by the armed conflict in North Cotabato Province.

Evacuees are afraid to go back to their barangays because of the stalled peace talk between GRP and MILF and for possible clashes again. Kawagib- Moro Human Rights Group have documented several cases of violation to Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law such that military used Barangay Hall and Day Care Centers as their camp in Barangay Dalingaoen, Pikit, North Cotabato since August 11.

According to Bai Ali Indayla, Spokesperson of Kawagib, civilians reported they were indiscriminately fired by the military which forced them to evacuate and this is violation to the rights of the civilian and the community.

"Despite the poverty they experience in evacuation centers, as Muslim, they are oblige to fast in observance of the Ramadhan. They go to mosque near their evacuation center and collectively pray specially when it is Friday" Indayla added.

"The people here, Muslim, Christian and Lumad want peace like the meaning of 'Islam'. We are peace loving people and we don't deserve to be militarized. We call to the GRP and MILF to resume its talk so that civilians could go back to their communities and children could attend their education" Indayla said.###

For Reference:
Bai Ali Indayla
09219064699
064-415680
kawagibphils@yahoo.com