Karapatan fears of arbitrary arrest vs Moro people
September 19, 2013 | 3:32pm
MANILA, Philippines - Rights group Karapatan on Thursday feared the rise of rights violations against Moro people as a result of the Zamboanga City standoff between government forces and Moro National Liberation Front fighters.
"In times like this, the Noynoy Aquino government is desperate to pacify any form of unrest. It wants to crush its so-called enemies through its dirty tactics such as human rights violations and violations of the international humanitarian law,"Karapatan chairperon Marie Hilao-Enriquez said.
She cited as an example t the wanton arbitrary arrests and detention during the Basilan siege in 2001, where nearly hundred Moro citizens and youth were arrested on mere suspicion of being Abu Sayyaf Group members.
"The Moro victims were heavily tortured by Philippine security forces to force them to admit they were ASG members," said Enriquez, who was part of the fact finding team that investigated human rights violations during the 2001 siege in Basilan.
After 12 years of detention, Enriquez said many of these victims who were members of the so-called Basilan 73, are still imprisoned in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan waiting for court resolution.
Most of them are cases of mistaken identity, she added.
"Under no condition that torture, arbitrary arrest or extra judicial killings will be justified even during a state of war, or military siege," Enriquez said.
"The Aquino government should have negotiated rather than using force against the Moro National Liberation Front members. The government's response has led to more problems to civilians - sending hundreds of thousands of them to cramped and dingy evacuation centers and putting them more in harm's way," she said.
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