DAVAO CITY – A faith-based network has called on government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to resume peace talks in time for the 67th International Human Rights Day.
In an open letter to both the government and NDF panels, the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) said the two parties should “go back to the peace table and resume the talks until a just political settlement is reached.”
“We see that the best timing to publicly call for the resumption of the peace talks is today, in time for the International Human Rights Day, as the human rights not just of combatants from both sides but also of civilians whose rights are severely violated and abused because of this conflict,” said PMPI National Coordinator Yolanda Esguerra in a statement Thursday.
Esguerra said the letter is a result of the network’s Peace Summit held last November.
The letter further reads: “While acknowledging that conflict is part of a society’s dynamics, the network members reiterate the urgency to take actions that would prevent the conflict from becoming more violent and further wantonly affecting thousands of innocent civilians. The participants call on both parties to pursue the path of negotiation, to communicate openly and heed and regard principled compromises instead of resorting to violent confrontations and heightened offensives.”
The summit participants also called for a ceasefire in time for the Christmas season.
“In our perspective, this may be the best starting confidence-building measure for the two camps. They can also consider it as a gift to the affected communities as a ceasefire is a sure respite from the conflict, and a chance to address human rights violations and abuses,” Esguerra said. (davaotoday.com)
