The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has yet to act on the request of a big farmers’ movement in the Philippines for it to see the sad plights of thousands of poor people displaced by the continued military operations against the insurgents in the country.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said in a statement to Associated Press and published by the Los Angeles Times on Dec. 8, has made the appeal to UNHCR to send its goodwill ambassador and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie to "look into the rising number of internal refugess dislocated by the clashes between the military and the rebel groups in the Philippines.
KMP officer Willy Marbella was quoted as saying that more than 10,000 innocent civilians were forced to vacate their homes this year "because of military actions and threats."
But the military said otherwise and defended its actions saying that the military operations are legitimate, if only to flush out the insurgents in the countryside. Military officials further said that an order was put in place ordering the soldiers to avoid fighting in some populated areas where civilians could be hurt or killed.