Kawagib condemns death of a child due to military strafing

Press Statement
22 August 2012
 
Kawagib condemns death of a child due to military strafing
 
Kawagib (Moro human rights) condemns the death of a four year old girl due to military strafing in an evacuation center in Maguindanao on August 21, 2012.
 
Kawagib identified the victim as Asmayra Usman, daughter of Arsad Mujahed Usman, 33, who has stayed in a makeshift evacuation center at the Mahad Nurul Ittihad in Salbo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
 
According to Usman, around 11:00 in the evening, while his family were sleeping, bullets started hitting their tent.  One bullet hit Usman’s  left foot then went directly to his daughter’s stomach which killed her instantly.
 
He learned later on from his fellow evacuees that the soldiers encamped at Brgy. Bagan in the nearby town of Guindulungan strafed at the direction of the evacuation center purportedly in pursuit of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Forces.
 
They are among the 400 families who evacuated from Brgy. Iganagampong, Datu Unsay town since August 6 as a result of escalating military offensives.
 
Kawagib will help the Usman family to file cases of extra-judicial killing for Asmayra and frustrated killing for Usman against the military at the Commission on Human Rights.
 
Kawagib will also file cases of desecration of mosques, illegal occupation of health centers and forcible evacuation against the soldiers from the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
 
They occupied a mosque at Brgy. Bagan in Guindulungan and use it as their military detachment.  They also used as military camps a mosque, a baranggay health center and civilian houses in Brgy. Iganagampong and Brgy. Maitumaig in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.
 
This is in violation of the International Humanitarian Law which states that places of worship should not be used as military encampment or as a target in the armed conflict. Not only are they showing disrespect to religious places of worship, they also endanger the lives of the civilians.
 
Kawagib echoes the request of the evacuees in calling for a stop to military operation in Maguindanao and pull-out the military troops in their community.
 
KAWAGIB is saddened that the strafing incident happened immediately after an interfaith activity was held at the evacuation center. Dubbed as “Duyog Ramadhan: Kanduli for a Just and Lasting Peace,” KAWAGIB and the Notre Dame Center for Catechesis prayed for a respite to the military operations.
 
KAWAGIB challenges the government to conduct a thorough investigation and serve justice for the victims. KAWAGIB strongly believes that the only way to a just and lasting peace is by addressing the roots of the conflict, political will and sincerity, not through militarization.### 
 
 
Reference:    Bai Ali Indayla, secretary-general
Mobile Phone: 0946.5015.477 and landline (064)421-5680