the u.s. “war on terror” in mindanao and our national sovereignty

my friend sent me a report from his recent peacebuilding mission trip. here are the highlights of his experience:

:: the armed forces of the philippines (afp) operations to flush out the abu sayyaf group (asg), begun in late july, have displaced 1500 people in the gindalungan area of maguindanao province in central mindanao. this displacement comes at a particularly unfortunate time when crops in the area are ripe and ready for harvest. a call was issued by the bantay ceasefire group to investigate the situation and assist with crop harvest as a show of solidarity with the people there. i have been on many bantay ceasefire missions which investigate how the 2001 signed agreement between the moro islamic liberation front (milf) and the government of the republic of the philippines (grp) is holding up. this mission was particularly challenging because it was going, not into an area where the principled milf was operating,
but where the outlaw asg is allegedly hiding. the asg is known for their kidnapping, beheading and terrorizing of local populations.

:: since the asg is on the u.s. terror list, it was not surprising that signs of an american military presence were also evident. a p-3 orion reconnaissance plane circled at about 20,000 feet all morning over this area. we found an abandon military bivouac encampment and discarded u.s. issued mre (meals ready to eat) packs. residents report seeing big foreign soldiers among the filipino troops giving rise to suspicions that direct u.s. military help is being given to this military operation. if u.s. troops are directly involved in this combat operation, then this would contravene the philippine constitution.

this u.s. “war on terror” seems to be terrorizing the people it intends to protect? i also wonder if the so-called “national sovereignty of the philippines” is real in these times when the americans impose their power on small nations like ours? or, are we merely an outpost of the united states empire in southeast asia?

through these questions, my position to resist the use of violence at all cost—as i seek to get involved in resolving conflicts—is strengthened.

praying in pain for my country and for the world

creator of all that exist, god of all nations, author of history, my intimate heavenly parent—i worship you for who you are, i thank you for this new day of hope, and i appreciate you for this privilege of talking to you.

today, my heart is bleeding for the political and economic crises happening in the philippines while the world’s most powerful men decided to respond very slowly to the urgent cry of the world for justice and for making poverty history.

at this very moment:
:: 30 thousand children will die of hunger and easily curable diseases just because we, the rest of the human family, do not really care enough;
:: around 50 people have been killed and 700 people injured in london, england for the cowardly act of terrorists who falsely claim that their violence is for and in behalf of the oppressed;
:: many politicians, many business people, and some military leaders who have selfish and evil motives are using the current instability of the corrupt gloria macapagal-arroyo’s administration to impose their vulture-like hunger for power and wealth;
:: a vast majority of the filipino people are suffering from hunger and injustice while the rich and the powerful are plundering the scarce resources of my beloved nation;
:: the imperialist attitude of the united states is still hovering over the philippine political dynamics, continuing to intervene in our internal affairs as a nation;
:: hundreds of thousands of thinking and conscientious filipinos feel unheard and powerless while doing the best they can in moving our people and our land towards progress, despite the overwhelming odds;
:: i am here in canada, feeling paralyzed by baggage that slows me down from doing what is urgent and important;
:: i do not want to wait any longer but i have to wait for your timing, my god and my master, so i can work effectively in advancing your rule of justice and peace.

here i am, helpless and powerless on my own. i open my whole being so you can feel me with hope, spiritual energy, heavenly wisdom, peaceful activism, and communal motivation, so we can respond to the challenges facing us.

amen.