Thousands Of Moro Evacuees Still Afraid To Go Back Home

24 May 2009

It has been more than nine straight months of displacements but tens of thousands of evacuees in Maguindanao still refuses to return to their communities of origin in Maguindanao.

The continuing operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) following its virtual abandonment of the peace process with the later since August last year prevent the evacuees to return to their homes in various affected towns in the province.

These internally displaced persons (IDPs) feel unsafe to return amidst continuing operations of the AFP from morning to evening in almost every day.

Since their displacement, they have been taking shelter in dozens of poorly-conditioned school-turned-evacuation-centers, tents and makeshifts under the trees and along the thoroughfares.

More than 2000 houses belonging to the innocent Muslim IDPs had been deliberately torched to flame and destroyed by heavy artillery and aerial bombardment by the AFP, paramilitary troops and armed civilian elements. Thus, rendering thousands of evacuees without shelters and hopeless on how to rebuild their homes.

According to some information, most of the IDPs are solely relying on food assistance not being given by government agencies from humanitarian institutions such as the International Committee Red Cross, United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) and from Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) for medical and health services.

The government has been totally remiss of providing the necessary relief, rehabilitation and humanitarian programs and assistance. Worst, it even imposed food blockade, media blackout and instead feed the affected communities with bombs and bullets. And yet, what success can the government brag of other than creating social and racial divides and placing the peace process to a point of no return.

More than 600,000 individuals had been displaced by the AFP operation, a case of humanitarian tragedy still lingers nowadays.

How can evacuees go back if the AFP continues to bomb indiscriminately civilian communities almost every day and night, common sentiment from affected communities.

Last night until this morning, AFP bombarded with artillery and mortars several villages in Datu Piang, Datu Saudi, Talitay, Talayan, Guindulungan and Midsayap. How can we then expect the evacuees to go back home with the continued carnage by the AFP. Who cares if they die anyway? Can interventions from any entity that only come after hundreds of people had die already make the difference?

EsinIslam.Com