WHY MINDANAO?

Impacts of war:-

1. Refugee life leave lasting physical impacts.

Menurut Norwegian Refugee Council-Internal Displacemet Monitoring Centre, 2009, pelarian perang di Mindanao disenaraikan sebagai pelarian paling terabai berbanding dengan pelarian di negara-negara lain di dunia pada tahun 2008.

Sejumlah 300,000 pelarian masih berada di kem-kem perlindungan (Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council, 2009)

5 daerah di bawah Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) mempunyai kadar terendah hayat hidup, anak-anak bersekolah dan pendapatan berbanding dengan daerah-daerah lain di seluruh Filipina. Kadar buta huruf tertinggi (Philippine Human Development Report, 2008/2009)

Dari 1,000 kanak-kanak yang lahir setiap tahun di ARMM, 34 orang mati sebelum umur mereka mencapai 1 tahun dan 50 lagi mati sebelum umur mereka mencapai 5 tahun (UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2009)

Lebih 375,000 penduduk (majoritinya umat Islam) telah mengalami bencana banjir besar pada bulan Julai dan Ogos 2009. Nilai kemusnahan lebih dari PhP I billion atau kira-kira RM80 juta (philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council, 2009). Sudahlah jatuh ditimpa tangga.

Kajian yang dilakukan oleh ACT Malaysia pada Julai 2009 ke atas 11 buah rumah yatim di Central Mindanao, keadaan prasana rumah-rumah anak yatim adalah sangat dhaif. Rata-rata mereka tidur di atas lantai sahaja tanpa tilam bantal yang sempurna dan tiada almari baju. Mereka terdedah kepada penyakit kerana kesukaran memperolehi sumber air bersih. Keadaan ini terbiar setelah NGO's Islam pulang ke negara- negara masing akibat tekanan daripada September 11, kuasa Barat dan kerajaan Filipina. NGO's Keristian dibenarkan aktif atau bergerak. NGO's Malaysia amat dialu-alukan dan umat Islam Mindanao sentiasa berbesar hati menerima kehadiran dan sumbangan daripada orang Malaysia.

Fakta yang jelas:

1. Kerajaan Filipina tetap tegas untuk memerangi puak pemisah daripada MILF, ekoran kegagalan perjanjian perdamaian dan autonomi penuh dan setelah pengaman Malaysia (Pasukan Pemantauan Antarabangsa) ditarik balik.

2. Wilayah umat Islam di Mindanao bersifat autonomi hanya sekitar 25% dan sebahagian besar wilayah Mindanao telah dikuasai oleh penduduk yang berasal dari utara Pulau Luzon (beragama Keristian) secara rampasan tanah setelah gagal membayar hutang atau pinjaman, peperangan (ramai umat Islam melarikan diri daripada kampung halaman) dan pelbagai perjanjian tanah yang berat sebelah dan tekanan atau penindasan.

3. Syarikat besar termasuk daripada luar negara membuat pelaburan dalam hasil pertanian dan akhirnya, tanah tergadai daripada orang Islam. Mindanao adalah wilayah yang kaya dari aspek penanaman kelapa, hasil pertanian lainnya, seperti pisang, jagung dan hasil gas dan emas.

4. Penindasan dan kezaliman ke atas umat Islam sejak zaman kedatangan penjajah Sepanyol, Amerika Syarikat dan dilanjutkan oleh kerajaan Filipina sendiri yang ingin merampas hak umat Islam.

Untuk maklumat lanjut dan sumbangan, hubungi ACT MALAYSIA, Suite 1, Pusat Komuniti Sg. Kantan, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, telefon 03 87395871 atau 014 9228905 atau e-mel: actmy.care@gmail.com atau website: www.actmalaysia.org.my

British soldier

201 British soldiers died in Afghanistan. PM Gordon Brown said, they are brave, committed and professional.

Their families have been told.

British soldiers killed

(Steve Parsons) From Times Online August 13, 2009

Three British soldiers were killed in a bomb blast this morning in southern Afghanistan, taking the toll of Britain's military dead in the country to 199.

I do not know, what exactly did they die for? I think Afghanistan will never change forever. I believe the fight is not worth it.

British Troops Died in Afghanistan

BRITISH ARMY JACKAL

The latest deaths take the number of British troops who have died in Afghanistan since operations began in October 2001 to 195.

Interactive graphics showing UK fatalities in Afghanistan

'Life opportunities'

The latest deaths come after new Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is in Afghanistan, said more troops were needed in the country.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I have seen progress in the south, not least thanks to the increase in the number of troops. So definitely the number of troops matters.

"However, we also have to realise that there is no military solution solely.

"We have to provide the Afghan people with better life opportunities as well if we are to win hearts and minds, and this will be at the core of our new strategy."

Source: BBC, Friday, 7 August 2009 14:51, Guardian, Saturday 8 August 2009 11.55 BST

WORLD WAR II

FROM THE BOOK, IN PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN PIMLOTT, Guild Publishing London, 1984

Japans's Blitzkrieg

Tha Fall of Malaya and Singapore (the full photos in page 60-61)

World War II was a 'total war'. Although it began in september 1939 as an essentially regional conflict between Germany and the Anglo-French allies over the future of Poland, it rapidly developed into an idealogical contest, with each side- Axis and Allies- intent upon the complete destruction of its rival. It culminated in the use of atomic bombs against Japan in August 1945, by which time over 50 million people had died and the shape of the world politics had been radically altered.

1. Japanese troops offload supplies during the invasion of Thailand/Malaya, 8 December, 1941. Elements of the invasion fleet may be seen on the horizon.

2. British troops under Japanese guard in Singapore, 15 February, 1942. Over 130,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were taken prisoner during the Malayan campaign: all were to suffer appaling hardship during the 4 1/2 years of their captivity and many were to die of exhaustion, overwork and neglect.

3. Japanese Type 95 light tanks advence down a Malayan road, Devemver 1941. Armed with 37mm main gun, the Type 95 was mobile but poorly armoured and given the type of terrain usually encountered, saw limited action.

4. The Japanese ability to move swiftly through difficult country wes one of the keys to their victory in Malaya. It was created in part by the use of bicycles: here a group of Japanese cyclists surmont the obstacle of a muddy stream.

5. Symbol of British defeat: Japanese soldiers march past the General Post Office in Singapore, 15 February 1942.

6. The destruction of Force Z, 10 decemver, 1941: sailors scramble over the side of the stricken Prince of Wales, destroyed by Japanese aircraft. She was the first capital ship in history to be sunk by air power alone.