[UAH] FW: [angbayan_updates_English] Report of UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict shows continuing prejudice and persistent falsehood against the revolutionary movement
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7:31 AM |
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FYI,
I already spoken to and advised the Philippines revolutionary movement about the use of child soldiers in armed conflict. I don't think they use child soldiers in active combat, but they use them as reconnaisence, ie as spies checking on every movement or activity of the army and police. This is why the peoples army is able to launch many devastating attacks on the government forces. But the children themselves are not involved in combat operations. Besides there are many children who have been uprooted from their villagers because of army bombardment and the only places they can go is the liberated areas controlled by the peoples army.
So this UN report is really shoddy and lopsided. The UN is doing nothing to help these children. When I worked in the Philippines, under heavy bombardment by the Philippines army in what they called OPERATION RED BUSTER 2 when I myself had to evacuate children, there was no sign of the UN. Nothing.Even when 5 bombs were falling over heads every thirty minutes. The aim of the operation was to finish off the peoples army, a task they abysmally failed to achieve.
George Okello
To: angbayan@yahoo.com
From: cppmedia@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2013 08:52:29 +0000
Subject: [angbayan_updates_English] Report of UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict shows continuing prejudice and persistent falsehood against the revolutionary movement
I already spoken to and advised the Philippines revolutionary movement about the use of child soldiers in armed conflict. I don't think they use child soldiers in active combat, but they use them as reconnaisence, ie as spies checking on every movement or activity of the army and police. This is why the peoples army is able to launch many devastating attacks on the government forces. But the children themselves are not involved in combat operations. Besides there are many children who have been uprooted from their villagers because of army bombardment and the only places they can go is the liberated areas controlled by the peoples army.
So this UN report is really shoddy and lopsided. The UN is doing nothing to help these children. When I worked in the Philippines, under heavy bombardment by the Philippines army in what they called OPERATION RED BUSTER 2 when I myself had to evacuate children, there was no sign of the UN. Nothing.Even when 5 bombs were falling over heads every thirty minutes. The aim of the operation was to finish off the peoples army, a task they abysmally failed to achieve.
George Okello
To: angbayan@yahoo.com
From: cppmedia@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2013 08:52:29 +0000
Subject: [angbayan_updates_English] Report of UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict shows continuing prejudice and persistent falsehood against the revolutionary movement
Report of UN Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed
Conflict shows continuing prejudice and persistent falsehood against the
revolutionary movement
Coni K. Ledesma
Chairperson, NDFP Special Office for the Protection of Children
Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel
1 July 2013
The Special Office for the Protection of Children (SOPC) of the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) takes strong exception to the
false and biased reports of the UN Office of the Special Representative
for Children in Armed Conflict (SRCAC) on the so-called recruitment and
use of children by the New People's Army (NPA).
After consultations with its regional representatives, the SOPC has
confirmed that the allegations by the UN SRCAC of recruitment and use of
children by the NPA in 2012 are baseless. Those claimed to be child
soldiers were civilians whom the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
had illegally arrested, detained and tortured or killed during military
operations on what the Manila government calls "peace and development
projects" against communities suspected of supporting or under the
influence of the revolutionary movement.
All of these children happened to be in areas close to where armed
encounters between the AFP and the NPA took place. One was killed
because of indiscriminate gunfire by AFP soldiers; others had been
traumatized by artillery and aerial bombardments and were arrested while
attempting to seek refuge in nearby communities.
The AFP practice of targeting children in communities and presenting
them as child soldiers was again exposed on 23 June 2013 by the Mindanao
Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC) when they presented to the media
three teenagers who were arrested and detained by the AFP in Kulasi,
Sultan Kudarat, for purportedly being rebels when they were actually
refugees who were attempting to return to their homes with adult
companions to get their belongings after having evacuated from their
community due to an armed encounter between the AFP and the NPA.
We urge the UN SRCAC to advice its Philippine Country Task Force for
Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) to be more discerning and circumspect
in the performance of its functions by exercising basic due diligence
and not relying solely on reports by agencies of the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) such as the AFP, Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
The CTFMR as befitting its mandate should investigate the situation on
the ground by talking to the people in the concerned community – the
parents, teachers, independent human rights groups and even local
officials. The illegally arrested and detained children have suffered
enough and should not be coaxed or coerced into making false statements
and incriminating admissions while in the presence of GPH officials.
We also urge the UN SRCAC and its country task force to submit their
findings to the SOPC of the NDFP for appropriate verification and
investigation of such reported alleged recruitment and use of children
by the NPA. We deplore the fact that while the AFP is given an
opportunity to respond, the NDFP through its SOPC has not even been
informed of such allegations.
The NDFP has issued its Declaration and Program of Action for the
Rights, Protection and Welfare of Children. The policies and program of
the NDFP to protect the rights of children are clearly stated in this
document. This document is strictly followed by all the allied
organizations of the NDFP, which include the New People's Army and the
Communist Party of the Philippines.
Conflict shows continuing prejudice and persistent falsehood against the
revolutionary movement
Coni K. Ledesma
Chairperson, NDFP Special Office for the Protection of Children
Member, NDFP Negotiating Panel
1 July 2013
The Special Office for the Protection of Children (SOPC) of the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) takes strong exception to the
false and biased reports of the UN Office of the Special Representative
for Children in Armed Conflict (SRCAC) on the so-called recruitment and
use of children by the New People's Army (NPA).
After consultations with its regional representatives, the SOPC has
confirmed that the allegations by the UN SRCAC of recruitment and use of
children by the NPA in 2012 are baseless. Those claimed to be child
soldiers were civilians whom the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
had illegally arrested, detained and tortured or killed during military
operations on what the Manila government calls "peace and development
projects" against communities suspected of supporting or under the
influence of the revolutionary movement.
All of these children happened to be in areas close to where armed
encounters between the AFP and the NPA took place. One was killed
because of indiscriminate gunfire by AFP soldiers; others had been
traumatized by artillery and aerial bombardments and were arrested while
attempting to seek refuge in nearby communities.
The AFP practice of targeting children in communities and presenting
them as child soldiers was again exposed on 23 June 2013 by the Mindanao
Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC) when they presented to the media
three teenagers who were arrested and detained by the AFP in Kulasi,
Sultan Kudarat, for purportedly being rebels when they were actually
refugees who were attempting to return to their homes with adult
companions to get their belongings after having evacuated from their
community due to an armed encounter between the AFP and the NPA.
We urge the UN SRCAC to advice its Philippine Country Task Force for
Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) to be more discerning and circumspect
in the performance of its functions by exercising basic due diligence
and not relying solely on reports by agencies of the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) such as the AFP, Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) and Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
The CTFMR as befitting its mandate should investigate the situation on
the ground by talking to the people in the concerned community – the
parents, teachers, independent human rights groups and even local
officials. The illegally arrested and detained children have suffered
enough and should not be coaxed or coerced into making false statements
and incriminating admissions while in the presence of GPH officials.
We also urge the UN SRCAC and its country task force to submit their
findings to the SOPC of the NDFP for appropriate verification and
investigation of such reported alleged recruitment and use of children
by the NPA. We deplore the fact that while the AFP is given an
opportunity to respond, the NDFP through its SOPC has not even been
informed of such allegations.
The NDFP has issued its Declaration and Program of Action for the
Rights, Protection and Welfare of Children. The policies and program of
the NDFP to protect the rights of children are clearly stated in this
document. This document is strictly followed by all the allied
organizations of the NDFP, which include the New People's Army and the
Communist Party of the Philippines.
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