By Roy Ramos & Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines
A breakaway Muslim rebel group operating in the Philippines’ troubled south has been slammed for its use of victim-activated explosives amid recent clashes with security forces.
A local civil society group campaigning for the eradication of landmines and its international partner organization released a joint statement Saturday condemning how such improvised explosive devices (IEDs) could hurt innocent civilians and residents.
“Victim-activated IEDs have the same function and effects as the globally banned anti-personnel landmines and violate international humanitarian law,” the Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action said.
“These indiscriminate weapons do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Even a child could trigger such devices to explode," the statement added.
The condemnation of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) comes after its members reportedly planted explosives across Maguindanao province last month during battles with security forces, who have been engaged in IED-clearing operations in Datu Salibu town.
The BIFF broke away from the Philippines’ one-time largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in 2011 due to differences with the MILF leadership in handling peace negotiations with the government.
The BIFF is opposed to ongoing peace talks between the government and the MILF, which signed a 2014 peace deal aimed at bringing an end to a separatist conflict that has killed around 150,000 people.
Saturday’s statement by the mine action groups appealed to the BIFF to follow the MILF’s commitment to stop the use of landmines and other victim-activated explosives, highlighting that the MILF considered them to contravene “the teachings of Islam”.
“The BIFF can take heed from the MILF who unilaterally declared in 2000 as an official policy that they will not use anti-personnel landmines and victim-activated improvised explosives in their armed struggle,” they said.
“This crucial decision by the MILF has saved countless innocent lives and altered the future of the Bangsamoro for the better, and has helped to avoid the challenges of unusable land littered with explosives and landmines which continue to claim innocent lives in neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam,” they added.
The statement also quoted the government’s peace panel chair criticizing the BIFF for the situation in Maguindanao, where explosives have been found along foot trails between the farms of Moro residents.
"We must not allow our fields and streets to become minefields. No political nor military objective justifies endangering the lives of civilians," Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said.
The local and international mine action groups have been assisting the government-MILF peace panels in clearing mines and educating the public since entering into an agreement in May 2010.
The fighting with the BIFF has been taking place during a stall in the Philippines peace process, leading many to question if a law aimed at sealing the 2014 peace deal will ever be signed.
Both the government and the MILF have warned that while the agreement is shelved during the duration of the country's presidential elections, "terrorist" groups may try and take advantage of local frustrations to move into the territory.
