Why is Karapatan silent on MNLF’s Zambo siege?

We are from Zamboanga and we are having a hard time here. The situation is abnormal; we can’t go out, we can’t buy food. Work and school have stopped. We wonder where human rights group Karapatan is now. It has been very quiet on the issue of the Zamboanga siege. It seems Karapatan doesn’t want to displease the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its leader, Nur Misuari. Is it afraid of both?

What is holding Karapatan? Does it have any alliance with the MNLF, whatsoever? Karapatan easily runs to the rescue of those it thinks have been victims of rights violations when they are its allies. What about us, our rights are no longer respected. If the situation worsens we do not know what will happen to us and our children.

We hope Misuari’s group will release its civilian hostages and allow us to live in peace again. Now, we call on Karapatan to also fight for the rights of those being oppressed like us.

—ANTONIO S. SABBAS,

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