ASEAN Civil Society pushes for cessation of Mindanao hostilities

The ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum 2012 (ACSC-APF2012) that was held in Phom Penh, Cambodia last March 28-30 expressed as part of its final Joint Statement of the conference that it “strongly supports the cessation of hostilities in Mindanao of the Philippines and other parts of the region.” The joint statement was   approved by 1,800 delegates from Cambodian Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and other ASEAN member countries for consideration of ASEAN governments and leaders. As head of the Philippine delegation invited by the Organizing Committee of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference I made the proposal. Ray Trillana, a member of the Philippine delegation, provided assistance.

The ASEAN Civil Society Conference was introduced in the 11th ASEAN summit in Malaysia in 2005 and became an annual gathering of civil society organizations in the region. Since then, it has metamorphosed into an effective venue or mechanism for discussing a wide range of concerns and possible approaches to helping promote and build unity and cooperation among ASEAN nations and peoples.

The agenda of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia this year covered issues such as democracy and human rights, peace and security, gender, development, migrant workers, indigenous (minority and ethnic groups), natural resources, environment and climate change, mass media, civil society organizations-state partnership, and natural disaster and humanitarian relief.

Because of the wide range of issues that were tabled for discussion over a very limited time frame, the Philippine delegation focused its attention and actively participated in meetings and workshops concerning peace and security, migrant workers, and civil society organizations-State partnerships. This resulted in the inclusion of   strong support for the cessation of hostilities in Mindanao in the Joint Statement of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference. The Philippine delegation also supported the position of the conference delegates “to press for the proper implementation by governments of the political and legal instruments pertaining to the maintenance of peace, stability and security in Southeast Asia, including the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Seas (DOC) and the 1982 UN Convention of the law of the Sea (UNCLOS); and to accelerate the drafting and ensuring the early signing of a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea; and support the early end of conflicts in the region.  

The Philippine delegation recognized that the ASEAN region is both a recipient and sending region of migrant workers. Hence, it supports the position of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference to urge the respective governments in the ASEAN region to enact and or update existing human rights laws for the protection of migrant workers, and at the same time, be vigilant in negotiating for better contracts and working conditions of OFWs coming from the ASEAN region.

Hence, I further emphasized the urgent need to create a permanent and functional working relations between the ASEAN Civil Society and the ASEAN Governing Body or Secretariat. He said that this should be considered as a priority in the forthcoming ASEAN Civil Society Conference that will be held in Brunei Darussalam.

At dinner after the closing ceremonies of the conference, the ASEAN delegation, and Cambodian officials represented by Secretary of State of the Office of the Council of Ministers Svay Sitha, Senior Minister on Human Rights Om Yentieng, Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace Executive Director Dr. Chheang Vannarith, Dr. Chet Chealy of the Cambodian Human Rights Ministry, ASEAN Civil Society Conference Organizing Committee Chairman Ieng Auny and Myanmar Presidential Senior Legal Adviser Sit Aye expressed their thanks and appreciation to the contribution of the Philippine delegation in the conference.