Islamist Terrorists in the Philippines Target Civilians

In a Monday press release, it was announced that Human Rights Watch has issued a new report and photo journal entitled, "Lives Destroyed: Attacks on Civilians in the Philippines." The report is said to contain vivid personal accounts of violent Islamist groups' attacks on entire families and the terror these groups have spread among Philippine residents since 2000.

It's reported that more than 1,700 Philippine civilians have been killed in executions, shootings and bombings, including others who have been kidnapped and left wounded by these attackers. Many of the attacks were made by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), both of whom have claimed responsibility.

The ASG is said to be an extremist Islamist group whose members broke away from the long-standing ethnic Muslim insurgent groups based in the predominantly Muslim areas of the southern Philippines. The RSM group is composed of converts to Islam and closely connected to the ASG. The goal of the groups is said to be about forcing Christians out from Mindanao and the Sulu islands and establishing Islamic rule over the Philippines.

John Sifton is a senior researcher on terrorism at Human Right Watch. In the press release he said: "Extremist armed groups have spread terror among civilians in the Philippines. They have bombed buses carrying workers, food markets where people were shopping, airports where relatives were waiting for loved ones, and ferry boats carrying families." Despite the scale of the violence, it has not been given much attention outside of that region of the world.

The release says that the Philippine government has been negligent in prosecuting the many suspects arrested, sometimes delaying proceedings for more than four years while suspects remained in custody. Nonetheless, the government recently passed a new counter-terrorism law, "The Human Security Act," which makes it possible to now hold terrorist suspects indefinitely. That move is being criticized by Human Rights Watch, however, which believes there are already sufficient laws to prosecute these criminals.

Sifton said the country "doesn't need a new abusive counter-terrorism law. The government isn't using the laws it already has, so why does it need new provisions that violate human rights?"

Among the attacks detailed in the Human Rights Watch report is the Feb. 14, 2005 Valentine's Day bomb attacks on Manila and two other cities. Human Rights Watch interviewed a 31-year-old student, Mark Gil Bigbig, who was eating at a fast food restaurant when a bomb exploded outside. He told Human Rights Watch: "We were surprised . . . people were shouting, 'It's a bomb!' I looked down, and already I could see my blood splashing below me, and I dropped to the ground." Bigbig suffered major injuries to his legs from shrapnel and broken glass. He is still unable to walk without braces and crutches.

In a 2003 attack, Aurelia Espera told Human Rights Watch about losing her children, one of which was decapitated. "I can never forget, I saw my children lying there in the street," she said.

Sifton says that the ASG and RSM "have committed crimes on a massive scale. They have intentionally bombed civilians, kidnapped ordinary workers and beheaded them, and extorted money from small businesses."

On a more positive note, Sifton says that Muslim leaders "deserve credit for distancing themselves from armed groups that attack civilians. But they need to ensure that they are controlling their own members."

Human Rights Watch is calling on the Philippine Department of Justice to put prosecutions back on track by proceeding with fair and public trials. The agency is also calling on the United States and others to provide assistance to ongoing peace negotiations between the Philippines government and Muslim leaders in a manner that would protect the civilians.

"To end the bombings, kidnappings, and other violence, other governments have to pressure Philippine leaders - both in Manila and Mindanao - to put a greater emphasis on protecting civilian life," Sifton said.

Source:

Press release, Extremist groups target civilians; http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/KHII-75M3BR?OpenDocument