Amnesty Warns Philippines Against Arming Civilians

The peaceniks don't like the idea of Christians in the southern Philippines of being able to protect themselves against terrorists. Amnesty International is worried this will lead to increased violence.

Where was Amnesty International when MILF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, terrorists shot or hacked to death 37 people? Where was Amnesty International when MILF terrorists used Christian civilians as human shields and then shot them to death when fleeing from the Filippino army? International Herald Tribune

ILIGAN, Philippines: Local political leaders in the southern Philippines have started arming civilians to protect against Muslim rebel attacks, a dangerous development that could further escalate violence, Amnesty International said Friday.

Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced and dozens killed in recent attacks blamed on Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels, prompting the government to scrap a preliminary peace accord calling for an expanded autonomy for minority Muslims.

....

Human rights group Amnesty International said the rebels "should be held to account" for serious violations of international law, but also warned that the deployment of civilian militias on the government side "can set off a chain of reprisals and only increase the danger facing civilians."

The Philippine military has a decades-old policy of arming civilian militias to reinforce security forces and protect local communities.

Following Monday's rebel attack on five coastal towns in Lanao del Norte province in which guerrillas [editor note: read terrorists] shot or hacked to death 37 people, Amnesty said that local politicians in nearby North Cotabato province supplied guns and ammunition to the civilians after security officials reportedly refused.