NEWS FEATURE
Joining the Anti-War Campaign
Peace Camp Launched
By Alfred A. Araya, Jr.
Reprinted from CyberDyaryo, Thursday, 11 October 2001

FOUR WHITE doves hovered over the roof of the United States embassy as the newest broad coalition of civil society groups sent yet another message opposing the American government’s moves unleashing the dogs of war.

From left, Peace Camp convenors Datu Hadji Alonto of Maradeka and Fr. Robert Reyes of Gomburza, along with Thea Harting, a native New Yorker and Task Force Detainees of the Philippines volunteer, prepare to release doves at the anti-war demonstration in front of the US Embassy yesterday. Photo by Emil Mijares Jr.

The universally known symbols for peace were released into the air by convenors of Peace Camp, short for Campaign for Justice and Peace, on Oct.10, three days after the US-led military offensives began in Afghanistan.

Formally launched earlier that day at the Ellinwood Church in Malate, Manila, the Peace Camp brought about 200 rallyists to join another 600 protesters belonging to another anti-war coalition, which was holding its own rally at the same time and place, the most frequently picketed embassy in the country.

Broad coalition

Peace Camp’s initial convenors include Freedom from Debt Coalition, Sanlakas, Task Force Bases Clean Up, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Sarilaya, Akbayan, Sosyalistang Partido ng Paggawa, Kalayaan, Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya, Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa (Bisig), Kaalagaad, Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod, Resource Center for People’s Development, HIPIS, Balay, Kanlungan Center, and the Muslim group, Maradeka.

At the launch of Peace Camp at Ellinwood Church in Malate, convenors Fr. Robert Reyes of Gomburza and Datu Hadji Alonto present and discuss the group's unity statement. Photo by Emil Mijares Jr.

The convenors also include the religious such as Fr. Ben Moraleda, Gomburza head Fr. Robert Reyes, and the church-based Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation Commission (JPICC) of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP).

At a forum-launch held before the rally, the anti-war coalition laid down their plans, such as holding a public forum, a "peace concert", a "peace caravan," creating a web site and/or electronic news groups, and linking with other peace movements in the country as well as abroad to gather more support.

Muslims pray during the anti-war rally of Peace Camp and Bayan in front of the US Embassy yesterday. Photo by Emil Mijares Jr.

New Yorker and TFDP volunteer Thea Harting said that anti-war effort in the US is also growing. She said she heard news the previous night of an anti-war demonstration in New York, which, according to her, from police estimates, was attended by 10,000 people. The story, however, didn’t appear in US newspapers or on CNN, she said.

Legal action

Peace Camp is also mulling possible legal actions against the use of the country’s airport facilities by the US and other foreign military, which has been allowed by government.

"Given the policy statement of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of her all-out support, the last resort to restrain such abuse of discretion is to file an action before the appropriate courts to stop the use of Philippine facilities," lawyer Argee Guevarra of Sanlakas told CyberDyaryo.

However, "We are still studying the case because there are many legal implications here," Guevarra said, citing foremost, "the surrender of sovereignty."

During the launch, the members read aloud the "unity statement" of the coalition. For them, war will only kill innocent civilians, inflame racism, and cause severe damage to the world economy, which is already on the brink of recession.

War does not discriminate

Like peace advocates worldwide, the members of Peace Camp stressed that war does not discriminate between military and civilian targets. "While we mourn the horrific attacks on US soil on Sept. 11, never again shall we allow another Hiroshima and Nagasaki to settle the score."

A placard invokes the late John Lennon, asking that we give peace a chance. Photo by Emil Mijares Jr.

A full-scale war wreaks havoc on economies worldwide resulting in poverty for billions of people around the globe, the Peace Camp members said.

Moreover, the so-called "war against terrorism," the members said, would only lead to racism with the "strongly emerging anti-Arab and anti-Muslim reaction worldwide."

Peace Camp convenor Datu Hadji Alonto of Maradeka, an umbrella organization of 30 civil society groups in the country, hit the US for regarding people fighting for self-determination as terrorists. "To us, they are freedom fighters," he said.

"Muslims are not terrorists," he stressed, asking why Muslims seem to be pictured and branded as such. He said during the Spanish colonial era, they were branded as "juramentados."

"Please don’t look at us as terrorists," he appealed.

No help to global peace

In an interview, Peace Camp convenor and Gomburza head Fr. Robert Reyes said the US’ "instantaneous declaration of war", devoid of "moments of reflection and discernment", led to the creation of the anti-terrorism coalition and, in effect, started a war. None of these will help efforts to create global peace.

A man with two children in tow holds a placard conveying laborers' sentiments: Bread not bullets. Photo by Emil Mijares Jr.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has not been of much help in these efforts, he added. "She was one of the first heads of state to immediately say, ‘we are going to support and back you fully,’ without even allowing concerned and enlightened citizens to also form an opinion."

The negative image of the Abu Sayyaf bandits has inflamed anti-Muslim sentiments in the country, with the "whole Muslim population already being incriminated and implicated in the process," Reyes said.

The war plus the Philippines’ support for it "just aggravates the situation" and "does not help the process," he added.

Moreover, in throwing its support behind the US, the country faces threats from both external and internal sources, the first, from the "enemies of America" and the second from Muslims in the country who will be "drawn to be anti-American, and perhaps, anti-Gloria."

Reyes said that his parishioners are already afraid for their security.

Sanlakas national president and Peace Camp convenor, Wilson Fortaleza, said in an interview, "Terrorism, like rebellion, insurrection, and subversion, has deep social causes that cannot be stopped just by killing the person involved in it."

As such, there must also be a "deep all-sided solution," he added, saying, "America plays a big role in settling these problems."

Resorting to war, said Fortaleza, begets "more violence, and another cry for justice."

Indeed, the cycle goes on. --CyberDyaryo