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Human Rights monitoring group launched in Cotabato City PDF Print E-mail
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Thursday, 17 December 2009 07:01
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/17 December) – The Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC), scheduled for launching on October 31 but reset to a later date upon the request of Commission on Human Rights chair Leila de Lima, will finally be launched this morning at the Pacific Heights & the Marqueza in Cotabtato City, with de Lima as keynote speaker.

MinHRAC is convened by representatives of the Moro civil society -- the Bangsamoro Lawyers’ Network, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies, Bangsamoro Women Solidarity Forum, Inc., Kadtuntaya Foundation, Inc., Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, United Youth for Peace and Development, United Youth of the Philippines, Bangsamoro Center for Just Peace, Kangudan Development Center, Inc., Indigenous Peoples Resource Center, Al Ihsan Foundation and Moro Law.

In its invitation signed by Atty. Zainudin Malang, MinHRAC executive director, the organization “envisions a just and humane society where people are freely exercising and enjoying the full realization of human rights,” and commits itself to “empower the people, especially the marginalized sectors and attain the full realization of their respective human rights.”

Uztadz Rahib Kudto, Unypad chair, will deliver the “Du’a” (prayers) while Paisal Abdul, a member of the MinHRAC board of directors, will give the welcome remarks and presentation of delegates; Malang will deliver the opening statement while Atty. Anwar Malang, MinHRAC chair, will give an overview of the organization.

Atty. Christina Haw Tay- Hovero, regional director of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will provide an overview of MinHRAC as she tackles the “human rights situation in Mindanao” from the perspective of the CHR in the region while Sammy Maulana, secretary-general of the CBCS will tackle “human rights in Mindanao: realities.”

The program states that solidarity messages will be delivered by Mohagher Iqbal, peace panel chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for the MILF; Brig. Gen. Rey Sealana, head of the government peace panel’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, for the government and military; Sukarno Abas, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Cotabato for the IBP and representatives of international human rights bodies.

CHR chair de Lima will discuss “Human Rights for All” in her keynote address.

The CHR and MinHRAC will then sign a memorandum of agreement on monitoring and advocacy.

Abdulbasit Benito, executive director of the BCJP, will deliver the closing remarks while Kudto will deliver the closing prayers. (MindaNews)