AMKP Independence Day Statement: Pursue the Struggle for Independence from National Oppression and Imperialist Dominations!
From Katipunan to Kefedewan
On 1896, the intellectual and propaganda movement leader Jose “Pepe” Rizal was executed by the colonizer Spain in Bagumbayan (now Luneta). The Katipuneros led by Andres Bonifacio then collectively judged their situation and conduct of struggle for national liberation against the Spanish colonizer. The Katipuneros drew their blades and guns to claim independence after the Propaganda movement's last card for reform and recognition failed. And in a scripted plot of independence on June 12, 1898 as the Spaniards lost popularity in the region then sold Las Islas Filipinas to the soaring Imperialist power - the United States of America (USA).
In July 1946 after ensuring their influence (politically, economically and militarily) over the Philippines, the USA ceremonially flew the Philippine flag declaring it saved and freed. One imperialist power over the other subjugated and colonized Philippines but the brave and freedom-hungry people persistently and consistently struggled putting in mind that one day a real freedom will come.
There is no more direct occupation nowadays. But impositions of neoliberal and imperialist interests continue to reign. Politically and economically, the country is entangled with the bigger profit and market dominated capitalist economic system.
And the
collaborations of the tyrant politicians and economic elites with the global
powers have been the new enemy of the struggling populations. Power is
concentrated in the few families and hands. Instead of progress along with
freedom, high poverty incidence and dynasties flourished The long-fought
Philippine sovereignty fell in the hands of the power monsters in the country
playing with fire with the global oligarchs.
Behind all of these are the struggles for self-determination of smaller nations in the country. The unconquered Moro nation in the south have stood their ground and offered thousands of lives to claim the freedom and identity robbed from them. From the (1989) Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), here's now the BARMM (2018) and community transformation efforts in the lens of correcting historical injustices.
In all of these
struggles for independence and self-determination, one more sovereign group of
peoples or groups of people in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (BARMM from ARMM) has never been asked, consulted about their future
but have been sovereign long before even prior to the definition of the terms
'nation', 'state', or 'self-determination.' In all of these narratives of
injustices against a certain people or nation one cannot ignore nor deny that
the Non-Moro Indigenous People's experienced multiple injustices in these long
narratives of historical injustices. They were forcefully integrated into the
society and annihilated their identity and traditional political and justice
systems. Their ancestral lands have been declared as owned by the State and
offered to the corporates and profit hungry politicians and elites and once
they resist it is very easy for the authorities to call them insurgents and
enemies of the States.
Let the true essence of the NonMoro IP Rights (particularly in the BARMM) or IP Rights (in the country) protection, promotion and fulfillment be felt and realized today and everyday. And the minimum standards are the United Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous People's and the Indigenous People's Rights Act of 1997.
Like Kefedewan, may we stand for what is morally upright! The Kefedewan (Justice Officers of the Timuay Justice and Governance) of the Teduray and Lambangian tribes are the morally upright persons in the eyes of the village, tribe and community who are chosen and are entrusted to weigh disputes and issues at hand to settle and collectively lay down their decisions. They are the inspiration of the Indigenous Peoples or NMIPs in the BARMM particularly in the persistence against all odds towards genuine decolonization.
Celebrate Independence Day as we continue the struggle for real freedom for all nations and peoples.
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June 12, 2024
Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan para sa Karapatang Pantao
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