8/19/2019 Union Statement re the burning of UCCP Haran.doc

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JOINT STATEMENT OF THE HOLY CROSS OF DAVAO COLLEGE FACULTY

UNION-ADLO-KMU & HOLY CROSS OF DAVAO COLLEGE EMPLOYEES

ASSOCIATION-FFW ON THE BURNING OF UCCP-HARAN COMPOUND

We, the union members of Holy Cross of Davao College Faculty Union-ADLO-KU an! Holy

Cross of Davao College "m#loyees Association-FFW, con!emn the latest atrocity committe!against the !is#lace! Luma! in Unite! Church of Christ in the $hili##ines %UCC$&-Haran

Dormitory'

At (am to!ay, uni!entifie! men burne! the UCC$-Haran )here hun!re!s of Luma! are see*ing

refuge' Five #eo#le )ere confirme! hurt, inclu!ing t)o chil!ren'

+he Luma!s at UCC$ Haran fle! their homes to esca#e the harassment an! #ersecution of themilitary an! the military-bac*e! grou# calle! Alamara' Chalo*a eyani, Unite! ations .#ecial

/a##orteur on the human rights of internally !is#lace! #ersons, foun! their situation

unacce#table an! unsustainable' Leaving their ancestral lan!s )ith )hich their lives are

intimately connecte! is a##alling enough' +o sub0ect them to yet another suffering such as the burning of their tem#orary shelter is intolerable anymore'

+here can be no !oubt this )as !one to intimi!ate the Luma! an! force them to return to their 

ancestral home' Whoever is behin! this atrocity must be hel! accountable, for this is !efinitely a

human rights violation'

Un!er the Unite! ations1 2ui!ing $rinci#les on 3nternally Dis#lace! $ersons, internally

!is#lace! #ersons, such as the Luma!s staying in UCC$-Haran, have 4+he right to be #rotecte!

against forcible return to or resettlement in any #lace )here their life, safety, liberty an!5or health)oul! be at ris*'6

 ot long ago, orth Cotabato re#resentative ancy Catamco, )ho chairs the House Committeeon 3n!igenous $eo#les an! Cultural Communities, set out on a mission to rescue the Luma!s an!

 bring them home' .he )as accom#anie! by #ersonnel from the /egional $olice .afety attalion,

Women7s Chil!ren7s $rotection Des*, Davao City $olice Office an! .an $e!ro $olice $recinct'What )as conceive! to be a 4rescue mission6 turne!, ho)ever, into an angry an! violent

confrontation bet)een Catamco an! the Luma!s'

 o), the Luma!s are once again violently !riven a)ay, this time from )hat they consi!ere! their secon! home after they )ere force! to flee their ancestral lan!s'

+herefore, )e urge the government to ta*e action' +he internal !is#lacement of Luma! has beenso neglecte! an issue that this )as not even !iscusse! !uring the in!anao leg of the recently

conclu!e! !ebate among the #resi!ential can!i!ates'

+he longer this issue !rags on, the )orse their situation gets' For, in the )or!s of eyani, this

4not only !estroys the homes an! livelihoo!s of in!igenous #eo#les, but has an incalculable

im#act on their cultures an! )ays of life that are #art of the rich an! !iverse heritage of the

$hili##ines that must be #rotecte! or other)ise lost, #erha#s forever'6