Please help us circulate this ASAP

Hereunder is a consolidated report of the OMI Disaster Response Team, Peacebuilders Community, Initiatives for International Dialogue, Bantay Ceasefire and the Mindanao Peoples Caucus which conducted consultations among evacuees in various refugee camps of Datu Piang, Maguindanao from June 2-4, 2009. This is being submitted to Secretary Rafael Seguis of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

A. In Datu Gumbay Elementary School and High School

General Situation and the Problems of Evacuees:
1. There is a general feeling of insecurity caused by:
a. Cases of indiscriminate firing by soldiers
b. Continues artillery shelling
c. Threat from the 54th Infantry Battalion, relayed by the Barangay Captain to the evacuees who said the soldiers will get back on civilians at the evacuation center once their detachment, which is near the school, is again harassed by rebels

2. There is lack of food supply as evacuees could not work and are just depending of food rations of non-government organizations

3. The evacuees fear of going back home due to:
a. Cases of disappearances and summary execution of civilians by soldiers
b. Military operatives cover their name-clothe and the markings that serve to identify the Army unit during military operations

4. Classes are disrupted by the artillery shelling as pupils get out of their classrooms whenever they hear of artillery shelling or their parents would fetch them home

5. Children and the aged are getting ill and dying at the evacuation center. When they request medicine, the Health Center would tell them they have none.

Their calls:
1. Urged the international community to intervene and help resolve the conflict and in addressing the needs of evacuees
2. Call on the barangay captains to go back home to their respective barangays so they can help the civilians feel secure and encourage them to go back home
3. Stop the war and for the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to go back to the negotiating table to resume the peace talks

B. In GLACI school

General Situation and the Problems of Evacuees:
1. Evacuees are illegally arrested by soldiers
2. Children and youth have stopped schooling
3. Pregnant mothers are delivering babies in evacuation center, some
of them prematurely
4. Insufficient food and medicine supply

Their Needs:
1. Regular and enough food ration
2. Plastic laminated sacks (trapal)
3. Medicines, including dental supply
4. Toilet, and,
5. Potable water

Their Calls:
1. Immediate resumption of the peace talks
2. Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain
3. Pull the military back to their barracks
4. Stop to the Human Rights Violations
5. Regular and enough Food Supply
6. Respect the Bangsamoro Peoples Right to self-determination

C. IN MAKASENDEG

General Situation and Problems of Evacuees:
1. Children are being sick
2. Lack of food supply
3. They could not sleep at night due to the bombing
4. Fear that the presence of armed Civilian Volunteer Organization members may invite armed encounter with the rebels
5. The evacuation area is being flooded
6. Need for plastic laminated sacks (trapal)
7. Houses were burned
8. They could not harvest their produce
9. The number of evacuees is continuously increasing. From over 200 families on May 31, there are already over 400 families as of June 4, 2009.
10. Need for toilets and source of potable water
11. Need for food support and fishing gears

Their calls:
1. Resolve the rido (family feud) that led to the armed encounter which drove them to evacuate.
2. Stop the artillery shelling
3. Resumption of the peace talks between the government and the MILF. They say that once the peace talks resume, it would be easier to resolve the rido since it would be the government and the MILF that will help each other in addressing the problem. They believe Mayor Samer Uy can also help in resolving the rido.