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Interview: Abhoud Syed M. Lingga
Chairman, Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly
By Kazi Mahmood
18/12/2001
Abhoud Syed M. Lingga, an active member of the Bangsamoro movement in the southern Philippines, having strong links with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is hard-hitting and direct in his replies to our questions regarding "terror", peace in Mindanao and what he calls attacks against "Icons of Islamic revivalism".
The first time I met Professor Lingga, also the executive director and Chairman of the Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly, I understood what the fight for freedom meant in the churning and restive Southern Philippines region. Lingga is a warm-hearted man, but he is also down to earth and the real locomotive behind the organizational structure of the Bangsamoro movement, and close to the Chairman of the MILF, Hashim Salamat.
The Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly is the organization that decides the political fate of the millions of Muslims in the Southern Philippines. Its delegates, a whopping two and half million people assembly, held its second meeting last June 2001, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao. The assembly had given the MILF the support and mandate to represent them in negotiations with the Philippine government, provided that the MILF would not deviate from the demand for complete independence, and should the MILF choose to deviate, that support and mandate would automatically be deemed rescinded and withdrawn.
IslamOnline: What is your opinion of the recent election of Dr. Hussin as new governor of ARMM? Sources said he is a pro-[Philippine President Gloria] Arroyo candidate? Did Dr. Hussin get a majority of Bangsamoro support for these elections?
Abhoud Syed M. Lingga: The election of Dr. Parouk Hussin as new regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will not make any difference as far as the problem of the Bangsamoro people is concerned, because the problem is not in the people running the ARMM, but in the system of relationship between the Bangsamoro people and the Philippine government.
It was not only Governor Nur Misuari who did not perform well. Governor Lininding Pangandaman and Governor Zacaria Candao did not also perform well. The leadership of the two previous political institutions created with similar functions with the ARMM but of lesser powers - the Lupon Tagapagpaganap ng Pook (LTP) and the Office of the Regional Commission (ORC) - did not perform also satisfactorily.
Unless the system is changed, changes of leadership of the ARMM will not solve the problems in Mindanao.
Dr. Parouk Hussin was President Arroyo's candidate. He has the support of President Arroyo. The President even campaigned for him. Malacañang exerted so much effort for other candidates to withdraw. Toto Paglas III [a candidate who did not withdraw his candidacy] was even offered the position of Undersecretary of Agriculture in the national government if he would drop from the race.
The administration candidates for the last four elections won. It was not because there were no other credible candidates, but the Bangsamoro people are generally indifferent to the elections and the ARMM.
IOL: What is the relationship between the MILF and the new governor? Will your organization work with him to achieve peace in Mindanao?
Lingga: Dr. Parouk Hussin has no relationship with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but he is a member of the MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front] Executive council with which the MILF has relationship.
We in the Bangsamoro civil society are willing to cooperate with any group that will work for peace and development of the Bangsamoro homeland. But the problem is that the ARMM, which Dr. Hussin will be managing, does not address the fundamental issue of the problem, which is the continued denial of the Philippine nation-state of the right of the Bangsamoro people to freedom and independence. Any cooperation we will give to the ARMM will not contribute positively to the solution to the problem because the ARMM itself is a political instrument to deny that right.
The problem of massive poverty, neglect and underdevelopment and other social inequities should ultimately be addressed after the political issues are settled because these are symptoms of the real problem. It should be noted that all these problems had taken roots when the Bangsamoro homeland became a colony of the Philippine government beginning with the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and finally with the establishment of the Philippine Republic in 1946 whereby the Bangsamoro homeland was officially annexed into the Philippine nation-state without the plebiscitary consent of the Bangsamoro people.
IOL: Is it true to say that Dr. Hussin's tenure will be short-lived since the MILF would want a referendum soon after a peace accord is implemented?
Lingga: The political status of the Bangsamoro people is not in the schedule of discussion between the MILF and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). The agreement signed by the MILF and the GRP in Tripoli, Libya provides that the two parties shall discuss the issues on security, rehabilitation of refugees and development, and ancestral domain. Discussion on security aspect is finished when agreement on the ceasefire and its implementing mechanism were signed in Kuala Lumpur. The two other agenda items have to be discussed later.
Even if there will be agreement on the other two issues, there will be no comprehensive peace accord between the MILF and the GRP until there is an agreement on the political status of the Bangsamoro people.
Referendum was proposed by the Bangsamoro civil society during the First Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly last December 3 -5, 1996, attended by 1,070,697 delegates, that was before the East Timor referendum was held.
Referendum is the peaceful, democratic and civilized means of resolving political conflict. As proposed by the Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly, the referendum shall be held in Bangsamoro communities in Mindanao only. The Christian settler communities may not be included for they have no problem with the Philippine government. The Bangsamoro people will be asked what political status they want: to be free and independent; to be federated to the Philippine Republic; to be federated to the United States; to be federated with any of the Muslim country in the region; or to maintain the status quo.
The referendum should be supervised by the U.N. to ensure that it is free and honest. The U.N. shall also be tasked to implement the result of the referendum. It is also through referendum that we can reconcile the different positions of the different groups because it would be the Bangsamoro people who would make the final decision.
We are appealing to the U.S., the European Union (E.U.), Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and all peace-loving countries to support the call of the Bangsamoro people for a U.N. supervised referendum in the Bangsamoro communities in Mindanao. If it was done in East Timor and other countries, why deny the Bangsamoro people the right to decide their own political status and future.
The MILF Central Committee has not taken stand on the issue of referendum, although Sheikh Salamat Hashim, the chairman of the MILF and imam (religious scholar) of the Bangsamoro people had expressed in an interview that he is agreeable to the proposal of referendum.
IOL: In the wake of the Nur Misuari dilemma, is it true to say that the Philippines are now at crossroads, and that Misuari may become a new rebel leader and create new tensions in the region?
Lingga: Nur Misuari has declared that he is abandoning the 1996 peace accord, and his forces had engaged in battles with the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Sulu and Zamboanga City. Definitely this will create additional tension in the region.
IOL: The deal offered by Arroyo to Nur Misuari, not to face jail and prosecution and to become part of the peace process: is it genuine or is there anything hidden behind it? Does it not show the weakness of the Arroyo regime or a collusion of the regime with the Misuari band?
Lingga: The Philippine government filed rebellion charges against Nur Misuari and statements from Malacañang say that the government will imprison him once he will be sent back to the Philippines by Malaysia. But Malacañang is not interested to have him back this early, probably to prevent a backlash if Misuari is imprisoned in the Philippines. The Bangsamoro people, and even those who do not like him, would not be happy to see one of their leaders behind bars.
IOL: Does the MNLF have extensive support? Is it true they have joined forces with the Abu Sayyaf and the "Pentagon" group?
Lingga: The MNLF is now divided into two factions, those who are still loyal to Nur Misuari and those who follow the MNLF Executive Council. The 15-man executive council ousted Misuari as chairman of the MNLF and the council took over the leadership. Misuari reorganized the MNLF central committee and appointed replacements of those who joined the MNLF executive council. The Philippine government recognizes the MNLF executive council and announces that it will implement the 1996 peace accord with the MNLF executive council
Both factions have supporters. Misuari's followers come mainly from the islands of Sulu. He has supporters in mainland Mindanao but not that many. The people of mainland Mindanao and some parts of Basilan support the MILF. Misuari's forces can create security headache to the Philippine government.
I have not heard of any organizational alliance between the MNLF Misuari faction and the Abu Sayyaf and the "pentagon group". [The term "pentagon" group was coined by the Philippine military and media to describe a band of kidnappers.] This has no organization. They are ordinary criminals just like the band of kidnappers in Metro Manila.
IOL: Could the MNLF undermine the MILF in the future if [in] the peace process, the MILF and the Philippines government fail to produce the expected results of economic development and self-determination for the Bangsamoro people?
Lingga: I don't think so. The MILF has signed a unity agreement with the MNLF executive council in Kuala Lumpur. Last October, the MILF signed another unity agreement with the Misuari faction of the MNLF. There is now a common understanding between the MILF and the two factions of the MNLF to coordinate their efforts.
IOL: In the "war against terrorism", Arroyo's government has secured a deal with the U.S. which has also offered its troops to assist the Philippines in dealing with the Abu Sayyaf. Is this acceptable to you?
Lingga: There should be clear distinction between terrorism and legitimate struggle of people for freedom. The "war against terrorism" should not be used to suppress the right of people to pursue their struggle against oppression and injustice and for freedom.
IOL: In the event the Philippines army gets sophisticated equipment from the U.S., would it not be a challenge to the Bangsamoro people in their fight for freedom? Do you feature problems in the future for your people?
Lingga: It would indeed be a problem among our people. In a war, the civilian population is the most affected and their properties are the ones destroyed. With sophisticated weapons under the disposal of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the effects of war would be more damaging to children, women and elderly, as well as to the environment.
If the Philippine military will be able to get sophisticated weapons, the hawks in government might prevail to solve the problem militarily instead of peaceful negotiations. Our fear is that peaceful means to solve the Mindanao problem would be sidetracked in favor of military action. Military solution has been tried before and it failed, and to use it again would only bring more destruction to lives and properties of Bangsamoro civilians.
IOL: What do the Bangsamoro people have to say in the "war against terrorism"?
Lingga: The Bangsamoro people are against terrorism, either committed by individuals, groups or state. The Bangsamoro people have been in the grip of terrorism by the Philippine government. Even before "ethnic cleansing" was used in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Philippine government had already applied that on our people in the late '60s and '70s where more than 150,000 Muslims died, more than one million were rendered homeless and destitute, and another 500,000 had to flee to the Malaysian state of Sabah.
IOL: Do they think this is a war against terror or simply a veiled attack against Islam?
Lingga: Whoever attacked the Pentagon and the World Trade Center had in mind to hit the symbols of U.S. military and economic power. Had the fourth hijacked plane did not crashed, or shot down?, the White House, the symbol of American political power, would have been hit also. Since the targets of the attack were symbols of its power, the U.S. had to respond against the symbols of those who oppose its world hegemony whether they are responsible or not of the September 11th attacks. The response has to be quick and decisive for what was destroyed is the myth of American invincibility.
Of all identified enemies of the U.S., it is the Muslim movements who are open in challenging not only the U.S. world hegemony, but also the West's secular way of life. Muslims who identified themselves in these movements believe that Islam is not only a personal relation between man and God, but it should govern the total way of life of man. Islam should be applied in governance, in social relations among men and women and in the pursuit of economic endeavors. These movements are anti-U.S. and anti-West because of the U.S. and the West's supports to Muslim governments who adopted the secular way of life. These Muslim governments are perceived by these movements as hindrance to the total application of Islam in the way of life of the Muslim masses and without the U.S. support, these governments would have been gone long time ago. It is these movements that the U.S. is bent to crush.
Osama bin Laden identified himself to these movements. He became very prominent not because of his exemplary knowledge of Islam or as a leader of a successful movement, but because of his open declaration of
jihad [struggle] against the United States. To the Muslim masses, bin laden is a symbol of defiance against U.S. hegemony and arrogance. The U.S. has to demolish that symbol to discourage whoever is planning to challenge its power from pursuing such goals; otherwise they will face the same fate as bin Laden.
Afghanistan, under the rule of the Taliban, is being attacked not because it had Osama as guest, but because of its open declaration of applying the
Shari'ah [Islamic law] in governance, and in social and economic life of the Afghan people. Other Muslims differ with the Taliban in the interpretation of Islam, but the fact that they are experiencing on the application of Islam in governance is what concerns the U.S. Muslim countries that are abandoning the Western secular way of life and gearing towards Islam are automatically considered enemies of the West. Take for example the Sudan and Iran, that are experimenting on Islamic governance, and these countries are consistently in the list of "terrorist" countries or sponsoring terrorism. The U.S.-initiated war against Afghanistan is to destroy the symbol of Islamic revival.
IOL: Would the MILF be considered a terror organization in case the ongoing negotiation fails? The peace process is yet to be finalized and the Philippines government does not seem keen so far to achieve peace? Or does it?
Lingga: There is no reason why the MILF will be considered a terrorist organization, because the MILF has been faithfully observing the rules of military engagement. It has not been engaged in kidnapping and other terrorist activities, and it has been protecting not only Muslim civilians but also the Christian and indigenous peoples of Mindanao.
If the Philippine government will declare the MILF a terrorist organization, then it is for political interest of the Philippines, not the reality on the ground.
If the Philippine government will get military support from the United States, it may lose its interest in the negotiations. As of now, it seems that the GRP peace panel is not keen in early resumption of the talks, and even if the talks will be resumed soon, we expect that the GRP panel will take a hardline stand.
IOL: Which is he best way according to you to deal with problems like the Abu Sayyaf and Nur Misuari? Will it be possible that one day all the Bangsamoro people work together as a nation?
Lingga: The best way to deal with these problems is to address the aspiration of the Bangsamoro people for freedom and independence through a democratic process like referendum.
We are moving towards the direction of working together as a nation. We welcome the efforts of the MILF of entering into agreements with the two factions of the MNLF and reaching out to all sectors of the Bangsamoro society, including the traditional leaders, as positive steps of uniting our people. We, in the Bangsamoro civil society, are also working towards that direction. That is one reason why we are proposing a referendum because it will be the majority of our people who will make the final decision, not just one group. If ever our people decide for independence, an election shall be held immediately to decide on the leadership of the nation.
IOL: The world sees the Abu Sayyaf as a renegade, terrorist organization that has no political alienation. Do the people in Mindanao see it this way?
Lingga: That is how the outside world sees the Abu Sayyaf because of their kidnapping activities. Many people in Basilan and Sulu, where they are operating, do not like and condemn the kidnapping of civilians, but they also understand that when people are weak and oppressed they resort to other means of defending themselves and/or making the world understand their cause. There might be arguments against that position but that is the way they know to defend their lands.
IOL: What will be the focus of the MILF once it takes over in the ARMM and a peace accord is signed? Can I have some details?
Lingga: I do not see in the near future that the MILF will take over the ARMM. During the administration of President Joseph E. Estrada the political package offered to the MILF was the same law passed amending the original Organic Act of the ARMM, and the MILF rejected it.
If we have to believe the statements of MILF Chairman Sheikh Salamat Hashim, the MILF will not accept any settlement short of independence of the Bangsamoro people.
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