Philippine troopers prepare 105mm cannons as they continue their offensive against the MILF

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (IslamOnline.net) – No inclusive solutions seem in sight for conflicts in South East Asia, particularly in the Philippines and in Indonesia, with war showing its ugly face and insecurity menacing the entire region, experts said on Saturday, 31.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told the press in Manila Friday, May 30, that a 10-day truce declared by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was a "ploy and tactical ruse," unless the separatists show proof of sincerity.

"We will not stand for double-talk. It is clear at this point that the declaration of a ceasefire by the MILF is a ploy and a tactical ruse," she told an open forum, reported the Oana/Xinhua agency on Friday.

"The (military's) punitive actions will continue until we are assured that our far-flung communities are safe from harassment," she warned, adding however: "We welcome peace under conditions of sincerity and justice."

The reaction of Arroyo is seen as an attempt to gain time and force the MILF into surrender, said Hakim Marzuki an expert in political science in Jakarta who spoke to IslamOnline.net on the phone.

Marzuki added that the stance by Arroyo also meant the Filipino regime was not serious about peace and would not give peace a chance unless some regional powers like Malaysia for example, interfered directly with Manila.

The MILF leadership declared on Wednesday, May 28, a 10-day truce effective on June 2.

On May 17, Arroyo ordered “selective punitive action” against the MILF in Mindanao, and declared on Monday that the operations were victorious.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging insurgence war since its establishment in 1978 to fight for an independent Islamic state in the southern third of the mainly Roman Catholic Philippines.

Defiant GAM

In Indonesia, the Aceh province is still under attack by the military, which has strengthened its grip on the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) strongholds.

Indonesian Marines run along a bridge in a bid to capture an Aceh separatist base

However, expressing fears of the "collateral" damage that would result from a prolonged war in Aceh, Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif has suggested that the military stop its operation to restore order in the province, The Jakarta Post said on Saturday.

"If the government is not sure whether the military operation in Aceh can be accomplished in a short time, then it should be stopped as soon as possible. We have to look for other ways.

"We have seen that even with a military operation, the GAM separatist movement cannot be beaten easily. They are even hiding out," Syafii told The Jakarta Post on the phone.

Only few dozens of GAM fighters have so far been killed in this war and dozens others arrested but the core of the separatist movement is still unseen.

Marzuki told IslamOnline.net that the war in Aceh would be a long affair that could last for few years and could drag Indonesia in a terrible war that would cost it more than it expects.

"It took the military two weeks to kill some 70 suspected GAM members, with its force of 5000 or more armed men, it will take years for the army to eliminate the GAM, " he said.

On the other hand, the military will never win the hearts of the Aceh people with the war and this will be another hurdle the Indonesian regime is to face in case war ends.

"We are still at an early stage and there is no end to this conflict yet, it’s not on the horizon and Indonesia will pay a heavy price for breaking the truce," said Marzuki.

With the ongoing offensive part of the government's integrated operations in Aceh, people at present could only hope that civilians would not be the victims, said The Jakarta Post.

"But, of course, it is very difficult to avoid civilian casualties. In fact, the number of victims keeps increasing. And once it takes too many victims, the people of Aceh will become more antigovernment," Syafii said on his part.

The Indonesian Military has deployed some 40,000 troops to Aceh to quell the GAM separatists since the government imposed martial law in Aceh on May 19.