Bush is scheduled visit to Manila in October

By Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (IslamOnline.net) - U.S. President George W. Bush has announced the desire to witness the signing of a formal peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), President Gloria Arroyo said on Wednesday, July 30.

She made the announcement during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting at Malacañang, reported by the Abs-Cbnnews agency in Manila.

President Bush is scheduled to visit Manila this October which suggests a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF may be signed as early as October, before the resignation of Mahathir Mohamad as Malaysian Prime Minister.

Mahathir has been instrumental to the truce signed on Friday, July 18, between the two sides.

However, Arroyo said that this would all depend on the Malaysian government, which is the host of the formal peace talks.

Decisive Round

In a related development, Malaysian ambassador here said Wednesday peace talks between the government and the MILF are to resume in Malaysia on August 4.

Ambassador Mohamed Taufik said his government was prepared to host the talks aimed at ending the MILF's 25-year struggle for an independent Islamic state covering Mindanao, Palawan, Sulu and Basilan Islands, reported the Abs-cbnnews.

"Secretary Ermita informed me yesterday [Tuesday] that the preliminary opening of the talks will be on August 4," Taufik told reporters, referring to Eduardo Ermita, government's chief peace negotiator.

"We are prepared to host it if both parties are prepared to agree without hitches."

Malaysia has been acting as a third-party intermediary in the peace talks, which were suspended earlier this year amid a spate of bombings and attacks blamed by the military on the MILF.

Some 300 soldiers who staged a failed coup Sunday, demanded President Arroyo and other top officials to resign over charges of responsibility for, inter alia, bombings in Davao City last April, which were blamed on the MILF.

The Malaysian government has approved the supportive role being played by the U.S. in the talks and the MILF is not opposed to the idea.

Some influential members of the Arroyo administration have even suggested that Bush lands in Mindanao before going to Manila, in order to show the importance of the peace treaty that is bound to be signed soon.

The idea is also to help galvanize foreign aid and investment for a region long haunted by wars and killings as well as abuses of human rights by the military.

Several hundred thousands of Muslims in particular have suffered from the conflict, forced out of their homes to live in exile in other countries or to live in camps.

MILF chief Salamat Hashim publicly disowned links to terrorist groups and declared a unilateral cease-fire to pave the way for the resumption of negotiations.

The MILF is fighting for a independent Moro homeland, it has a 12,000 strong army fully equipped for guerrilla warfare.