A library photo for President Arroyo during a tour in the southern Philippines

By Rexcel Sorza, IOL Correspondent

ILOILO CITY, Philippines, November 24 (IslamOnline.net) – The Malaysian government will send a seven-member team to the southern Philippine island of Mindanao after the Eid al-Fitr to check on the island’s peace situation, Malaysian Defense Forces Chief General Zahidi Zainuddin said on Monday, November 24.

He said that seven military officers, headed by an unnamed brigadier-general, will leave for Mindanao after Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya Puasa) to assess the situation there before the government makes a final decision on sending a ceasefire observer force to the southern Philippine island.

Zainuddin, quoted by Malaysia’s Bernama News Agency, further said the team of military officers would seek information to be presented to the Malaysian defense ministry for further action. 

"They will be there for at least two weeks and the military is waiting for further instructions from the National Security Council and Wisma Putra before deciding the date for the team's departure," he said.

On Thursday, November 20, Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak said the sending of an observer force to monitor the ceasefire in Mindanao was dependent on the outcome of talks between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Bernama reported that Manila made an official request to the Government of Malaysia for a ceasefire observer force not exceeding 25 personnel comprising the military and police.

President Gloria Arroyo further announced last week that a group of Malaysians will arrive in Mindanao next week to monitor the peace situation in the southern Philippine island to pave the way for the talks to resume.

'Exploratory Talks'

Over the weekend, the MILF announced it is ready for the resumption of "exploratory talks" with the Philippine government after Tuesday or Wednesday’s Eid al-Fitr.  

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu pointed out that the negotiations "would entirely depend upon the appreciation and action by the Malaysian government".

Latest efforts to hold another round of exploratory meetings was set by the parties on October 28. However, it was cancelled by the Malaysian government without setting new date for the holding of the same.

Kabalu said the Front wants the Philippine government "to demonstrate some kind of sincerity and will to implement all the provisions of the agreements as provided for under the minutes of the GRP (the Republic of the Philippines)-MILF exploratory meetings, both of March 28 and June 20 and reiterated in September 6 meeting in Kuala Lumpur".  

Prominent provisions of these agreements include the final withdrawal of all criminal charges filed against MILF officials and members, and the pullout of GRP troops from MILF-controlled areas such as Buliok Complex in Pikit, Cotabato province and in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao.

The next factor would be the deployment of a third-party observer team, which is the Malaysian team, tasked to monitor the implementation of the cessation of hostilities.

The realization of the coming in of the monitoring group has been left to the sole discretion of the group led by the Malaysian government, Kabalu said.  

"Because both GRP and MILF have already submitted to Malaysian Government their respective version of Terms of References (TOR) along with authority given to the Malaysian the privilege to adopt which of the TOR will be used by the Monitoring Observer/Team during their tour of duty in Mindanao," he explained. 

The resumption of the formal talks is long awaited as both the GRP and the MILF negotiating panels and the Joint GRP-MILF Meeting of the Coordinating Committees on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) submitted a number of unresolved issues for resolution by the GRP-MILF Peace Panels.

The MILF has battled the government military since the 1970s to reclaim the Bangsamoro homeland of Mindanao and adjoining islands, which it said were illegally annexed to the Philippine territory.