Human rights coalition holds dialogue on peace talks

Human rights coalition holds dialogue on peace talks

Speakers and attendees of the dialogue-forum at Ryerson University, Toronto. Photo: HG

By Lui Queaño

The International Coalition of Human Rights in the Philippines-Canada (ICHRP) held a dialogue on the ongoing peace talks between the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) at Ryerson University on Saturday, Oct. 5, entitled Root Causes of the War & the Peace Talks under President Duterte. Guest speakers at the public event related their own personal stories about how human rights issues could open spaces for resolving conflict and making peace talks work for both the government and the NDFP.

Hopes are high that the 50-year civil war may end ever since the peace talks were resumed in the last week of July in Oslo, Norway. Both the GRP and NDFP panels signed and approved outlines of the peace talks, including the second round of talks that involved socio-economic reforms (SER).

Reverend Japhet Ndhlovu of United Church of Canada (UCC) and Ysh Cabana of Anakbayan -Toronto, who had both attended the International Conference on Human Rights in the Philippines from July 23-24 this year in Davao City, spoke about their experiences in Mindanao.

PHOTO: LQ

Ndhlovu gave an update on the Yolanda survivors while Cabana talked about the Lumad communities impacted by large-scale mining operations.

Ndhlovu expressed disappointment that there are still families living in bunk houses, three years after the onslaught of super-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

“They should be given permanent houses that are livable. It has been too long – it’s more than three years now and yet the poor survivors still live in bunk houses,” Ndhlovu, said.

Rev. Ndhlovu, Program Coordinator for Partnership in the Philippines, who joined the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) to Mindanao, said that Yolanda survivors who chose to stay in resettlement areas have had to live in flimsy houses and suffered a severe lack of basic services.

The public event organized by ICHRP in partnership with Anakbayan Toronto under the theme Root Causes of War and Peace Talks in the Philippines Under President Duterte provoked interesting discussions during the interactive question and answer part of the program.

PHOTO: LQ

In his Powerpoint presentation, Cabana pointed out the struggle of the Subanen Lumads of Zamboanga peninsula whose lives and culture are threatened due to rampant mining tenements and the military encampment in the area.

“There is a growing people’s movement against the irresponsible mining operations that have caused displacement and violence among the Subanen communities, who now must fight to protect their land, their lives and the environment,” Cabana said.

Cabana said that various community groups composed of clergy from the local parishes, imams and ustadz of Moro communities as well as leaders from the Salabukan Nok G’taw Subanen (Unity of Subanen People or SGS) came together and formed PROTECT, a regional alliance opposing large-scale mining.

Bern Jagunos during the open discussion on human rights and peace talks. PHOTO: LQ

Lumad communities are being destroyed, Cabana said, due to the dangers posed by the daily operations of large-scale mines in the region. The impacts of the mining operations cause harmful diseases and ultimately death to plants, animals and even people. Such a negative environmental impact has seriously affected the fisherfolk and farmers who depend on their land as the main source of their livelihood.

According to many studies and reports, the problematics of mining operations occur during the various phases of exploration down to its final extraction. Reports from Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, for instance, accounted for various unsafe levels of contaminations in the rivers, air and land – all from mining operations owned by international foreign investors such as MRL Egerton Gold Philippines, Australian Oceana Gold, and Rapu-Rapu mine among others.

Slides from Cabana’s presentation proved that environment degradation is already apparent in the exploration phase, although none of the mining operators claim responsibility for cleaning up their mines.

When finally Cabana asked the troubling question of what happens to mine sites after a mine closes, he gave the equally troubling answer that the land is left as just a mess of toxic materials and a plundered environment that include land, air and poisoned rivers. The usual end of the mining story is that the people are abandoned, their lives and source of livelihood taken away from them – all for the sake of development.