The Institute of Bangsamoro Studies
HOW THE BANGSAMORO SEEKS PEACE THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS
Statement of Abhoud Syed M. Lingga, Chairman of the Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly, during the 23rd Session of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 18-22 July 2005.Download Complete text of this Article as
Mr. Chairman:
The Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly welcomes this opportunity to address the 23rd Session of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) on the issue of indigenous peoples and conflict prevention and resolution.
The remarks made last year by His Excellency Secretary General Kofi Anan on the willingness’ of the United Nations to assist in the peaceful resolution of the problem in Mindanao - a problem involving the conflict between the Bangsamoro people of the island of Mindanao in south Philippines and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines - was indeed encouraging.
Although no concrete step has been taken so far but said remarks indicate the willingness of the United Nations to be part of conflict resolution involving indigenous peoples. Active participation of the UN should not only be welcomed, but should be encouraged to enhance the possibility of achieving the twin objectives of peace and justice in the on-going peace process facilitated by the Government of Malaysia. For peace to be viable and sustainable, agreements between or among parties must not only be just but would put an end to any form of injustice.
Statement on the Right of the Indigenous Peoples to Development
Statement delivered during the Plenary Session of the 20th Session of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland on 23 July 2002.By Abhoud Syed M. Lingga
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Mr. Chairperson, I am speaking as Chairman of the Bangsamoro People’s Consultative Assembly and in behalf of the Bangsamoro People of Mindanao in the south of the Philippines who are colonized by the Philippine government for more than half a century from now. They are being denied of their right of self-determination, in violation of Article 1 of both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, despite of the fact that they have distinct identity and common culture, and have long history of political independence that spans more than six centuries in the same territory they presently occupy.
The Bangsamoro People urgently need development, like other colonized and oppressed peoples of the world, for their territory remains economically undeveloped and they suffer the highest poverty incidence. But experience tells us that the kind of development we want will not happen unless and until we enjoy the right of self-determination. The development paradigm and development thrusts and priorities being implemented in our territories not only deny us the kind of development we want but being used to deny us our right to self-determination. For example, in the name of development the Philippine government encourages Filipino settlers to settle in the Bangsamoro territory that resulted into minoritization of the Bangsamoro people in their own homeland. This situation is now being used as argument against our demand for self-determination since we only occupy twenty per cent of our traditional homeland.