MILF fighters

By Rexcel Sorza, IOL Correspondent

ILOILO CITY, Philippines, February 15 (IslamOnline.net) - The preliminary talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front would not take place as scheduled Monday, February 16, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced Sunday, February 15.

Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia said the Malaysian government, which is facilitating the exploratory talks that is expected to pave the way for the resumption of the formal peace negotiations, has requested for a postponement.

“It would push through within the next few days,” Garcia said, explaining that the request came due to “administrative reasons.” Garcia heads the government panel in the Coordinating Committee for the Cessation of Hostilities, which oversees the adherence to the cease-fire agreements by both parties.

The MILF peace panel and government negotiators were supposed to meet Monday for a two-day “exploratory talks” in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur as jointly announced by President Gloria Arroyo and Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his visit to Manila last month.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted Sunday, February 15, by the state news agency Bernama as saying that a lasting peace in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao “can be achieved.”

He stressed: "The exploratory talks are important because that will be a test of sincerity for a durable or lasting peace.” The news report, however, failed to mention the postponement of the preliminary talks.

"There's a lot of sincerity and a serious desire to address the problems. Once you address the problems and the root causes, you can work it out step by step and both parties must accept that they want peace," he told Bernama.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister added that after the exploratory talks, a reconnaissance team would be sent to Mindanao to study the situation before sending the OIC monitoring team to be led by Malaysia.

He points to poverty and discrimination as the major concerns that have to be addressed in Mindanao.

"We see a lot of the conflicts and problems that arise are generally socio-economic. There are questions of a sense of marginalization and deprivation. "So you must provide confidence-building measures where both parties think the answer to economic development is through having a peaceful and stable country. Then you can invite others to come in and build the economy."

On the other hand, Syed Hamid said that the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) does not support the creation of a separate Islamic state on Mindanao Island as articulated by some of the MILF leaders.

"A separate state is not supported by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which says we must work within the territorial integrity of the Philippines," Syed Hamid told Bernama. "I think they (MILF) must see the futility of continuing the struggle without end."

Apart from brokering the peace talks between MILF and the Philippine government, Malaysia also heads an international monitoring team from the OIC which includes Libya, Brunei, Bangladesh and Bahrain.

The MILF, which broke away from the Moro National Liberation Front in the late 70’s, has waged a revolution against the Philippines government for some 30 years to repossess the islands of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan, which they claim to have been illegally annexed to the Philippine territory.

MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ibrahim is pushing for the East Timor-like solution to the decades-long struggle.

He said: “In the interest of Islam and of human rights, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is calling on all international organizations, particularly the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the United Nations (U.N.) in general, to prevail upon the Philippine government and people to end the bloodshed in the Bangsamoro Homeland and opt for a peaceful and more civilized solution to the conflict.

“This can only be done through the conducted of referendum under U.N. supervision similar to the one conducted in the former Portuguese colony of East Timor. This is the only way we can end these centuries of fighting and violence in this part of the word.

“The Bangsamoro people is of unanimous belief that the only way to correct the historical mistake committed against them in illegally and immorally annexing their homeland to the Philippine Republic without their legal consent is to conduct a referendum to determine the real pulse of the Bangsamoro people.

“However, it should be emphasized that the referendum shall be conducted only among the Bangsamoro people, excluding the Filipino people in the area, as they are the victims and subject of the committed injustice. Unless a genuine solution acceptable to the Bangsamoro people is implemented, the conflict in Mindanao will continue unabated.”