Press Release
August 15, 2007
Bloodletting ritual against MINING and other ANTI-LUMAD policies held
A white native chicken was sacrificed today in a bloodletting ritual by Manobo, Bagobo, Umayamnon, Blaan Lumad leaders from Southern and Central Mindanao under the banner of PASAKA Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao to express their dissent over mining and other anti-lumad policies of the Arroyo government.
Datu Monico Cayog, PASAKA Secretary General said the white chicken symbolizes the peace that they demand, while the blood symbolizes death to all destructive projects in their communities, particularly mining, logging, dams and militarization to which he attributes the uncountable human rights abuses perpetrated against the lumads.
Norma Capuyan, chairperson of the Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa Cotobato (ASLPC), denounced the transfer of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) in the direct control of President Macapagal Arroyo.
“Out of the eighteen (18) mining priority areas in Mindanao , sixteen (16) are ancestral domains of the indigenous peoples. This influx of mining is thus tantamount to the death of indigenous communities which depend greatly on land for their survival. ” Capuyan declares.
Capuyan said that aside from mining, massive logging has caused the deforestation of many lumad communities such as the Ata-Manobo ancestral lands in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte; while dams like the Tudaya hydro-power plant, now on construction in Mt. Apo, is threatening the denudation of some Bagobo and Manobo communities.
Meanwhile, Datu Monico Cayog said that human rights abuses perpetrated against lumads escalate due to the implementation of development projects in lumad communities.
“Development projects are coupled with militarization, since the government knows that the lumads protest these destructive projects. When HEDCOR started constructing the dam in Tudaya, Sta. Cruz, the 10th IB was deployed and CAFGUs were constantly harassing the residents. When the Ata-Manobos of Talaingod opposed the supposed Talaingod hydro-powerplant, the 73rd IB with other units hamletted the community from which ensued massive displacement and harassment,” Cayog recounted.
Cayog said further that genuine development will only be achieved thru nationalized industrialization, “free from the encroachment of foreign nations which only want to plunder” our natural resources.
Dolphing Ogan, Secretary General of KALUMARAN, a Mindanao-wide federation of lumad organizations, noted the deteriorating situation of the lumads socio-economically, culturally and politically.
“The lumad people are suffering from blatant neglect from the government due to the absence of education, health and other basic social services in our communities. But the biggest crime that the Arroyo government is accountable for is that on top of this, we are grabbed of our ancestral land which is the material base of our socio-cultural, economic, and political life. Appallingly, we are tagged as rebels or enemies of state when we defend the mere right to our land and life,” Ogan said.
PASAKA which members 15 local lumad organizations has successfully held its 6th Council Meeting from August 13 to 14. Datus and tribal leaders will stage a protest action at Camp Panacan on August 16 to mark its call to stop the militarization of lumad communities , the rampant killings and red-tagging of indigenous leaders. ##
References:
Datu Monico Cayog Secretary General, PASAKA
Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao
Dolphing Ogan
Secretary General, KALUMARAN
Norma Capuyan
Chairperson , ASLPC
Media Desk:
Look for May
August 15, 2007
Bloodletting ritual against MINING and other ANTI-LUMAD policies held
A white native chicken was sacrificed today in a bloodletting ritual by Manobo, Bagobo, Umayamnon, Blaan Lumad leaders from Southern and Central Mindanao under the banner of PASAKA Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao to express their dissent over mining and other anti-lumad policies of the Arroyo government.
Datu Monico Cayog, PASAKA Secretary General said the white chicken symbolizes the peace that they demand, while the blood symbolizes death to all destructive projects in their communities, particularly mining, logging, dams and militarization to which he attributes the uncountable human rights abuses perpetrated against the lumads.
Norma Capuyan, chairperson of the Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa Cotobato (ASLPC), denounced the transfer of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) in the direct control of President Macapagal Arroyo.
“Out of the eighteen (18) mining priority areas in Mindanao , sixteen (16) are ancestral domains of the indigenous peoples. This influx of mining is thus tantamount to the death of indigenous communities which depend greatly on land for their survival. ” Capuyan declares.
Capuyan said that aside from mining, massive logging has caused the deforestation of many lumad communities such as the Ata-Manobo ancestral lands in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte; while dams like the Tudaya hydro-power plant, now on construction in Mt. Apo, is threatening the denudation of some Bagobo and Manobo communities.
Meanwhile, Datu Monico Cayog said that human rights abuses perpetrated against lumads escalate due to the implementation of development projects in lumad communities.
“Development projects are coupled with militarization, since the government knows that the lumads protest these destructive projects. When HEDCOR started constructing the dam in Tudaya, Sta. Cruz, the 10th IB was deployed and CAFGUs were constantly harassing the residents. When the Ata-Manobos of Talaingod opposed the supposed Talaingod hydro-powerplant, the 73rd IB with other units hamletted the community from which ensued massive displacement and harassment,” Cayog recounted.
Cayog said further that genuine development will only be achieved thru nationalized industrialization, “free from the encroachment of foreign nations which only want to plunder” our natural resources.
Dolphing Ogan, Secretary General of KALUMARAN, a Mindanao-wide federation of lumad organizations, noted the deteriorating situation of the lumads socio-economically, culturally and politically.
“The lumad people are suffering from blatant neglect from the government due to the absence of education, health and other basic social services in our communities. But the biggest crime that the Arroyo government is accountable for is that on top of this, we are grabbed of our ancestral land which is the material base of our socio-cultural, economic, and political life. Appallingly, we are tagged as rebels or enemies of state when we defend the mere right to our land and life,” Ogan said.
PASAKA which members 15 local lumad organizations has successfully held its 6th Council Meeting from August 13 to 14. Datus and tribal leaders will stage a protest action at Camp Panacan on August 16 to mark its call to stop the militarization of lumad communities , the rampant killings and red-tagging of indigenous leaders. ##
References:
Datu Monico Cayog Secretary General, PASAKA
Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao
Dolphing Ogan
Secretary General, KALUMARAN
Norma Capuyan
Chairperson , ASLPC
Media Desk:
Look for May
posted by Solidarity Action Group for Indigenous Peoples at 5:09 AM
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