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Manila Needs a Realistic Approach in Mindanao
By Omer bin Abdullah
14/08/2001
A Malaysian brokered peace is precariously taking shape in Mindanao, the Philippines' southernmost islands, where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) - demanding an independent state for the six million Muslims there - has agreed to negotiate with the government of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The initial agreement was signed in Malaysia - a concerned neighbor - in January when Manila and the MILF agreed to a ceasefire.
The MILF, led by Chairman Salamat Hashim, carried on its military movement after the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) renounced its campaign in 1996 in exchange for limited Muslim self-rule. However, this limited autonomy proved to be less than successful, and the MILF was thus reluctant to sign on. Manila was never serious about granting Muslim their rights, and Mindanao - one of the most resource-rich parts of the country - remains one of its poorest regions. Staff of the autonomous government have had their salaries delayed; projects are proposed but not completed; and the four Muslim-majority provinces that voted for autonomy - Tawi Tawi, Sulu, Llanao del Sur and Maguindanao - feel worse off than ever.
This is not the first time that the Philippines, a predominately Roman Catholic nation, has turned toward some of its Muslim neighbors for assistance in negotiating with its Muslim population. In the past, playing peacemaker was a role often reserved for Indonesia, a regional heavyweight, and the world's most populous Muslim nation. However, the sprawling archipelago's persistent problems have lowered its profile as a Southeast Asian mediator, a position that Malaysia is keen on filling.
Arab traders brought Islam to the southern Philippines in the 14th century, 200 years before the Spaniards brought Catholicism to the archipelago. Over the years, the Spaniards, Americans, and Manila, have all battled the Muslims and failed to fully convince them that they are part of the Philippines. The latest round of fighting broke out in the 1970s after conflicts between Muslim and Christian settlers escalated.
Disgraced former Philippine president, Joseph Estrada, had ordered the army to stamp out the Abu Sayyaf, a group that claims to be fighting for a separate Muslim state but appear to be more concerned with collecting ransoms. However, increasingly frustrated Filipinos are calling for decisive action to end the strife in the southern region of Mindanao. They feel the issue will not disappear, even if the government rids the country of the Abu Sayyaf. Overall, the Philippines wants an end to battles between the government and other Muslim groups, which have racked the region for decades. Keeping troops there drains the budget, and the area's lawless image scares away investors and tourists from the Philippines as a whole.
However, finding a long-term solution to Mindanao's volatile religious and economic divisions will not be as easy as ordering in troops. Many people feel a radical approach to restructuring the political landscape is needed.
Some Muslims are calling for an East Timor-style referendum granting independence from the rest of the largely Roman Catholic country. Others want to see the return of the traditional sultanate system within a constitutional monarchy.
However, a proposal that is picking up support among politicians and commentators is for a federal system that would split the Philippines into states that would write their own laws and levy their own taxes. Backers say the current, heavily centralized, administration is a bad fit for the Philippines, a nation stitched together by its Spanish colonial masters from tribes speaking almost 100 languages and scattered across more than 7,000 islands.
The Muslims, who have before them the frustrations of the autonomous government in Mindanao, hardly seem to agree to such an arrangement. Mindanao, the impoverished Muslim area, continues to suffer the nation's lowest literacy and education rates, and the autonomous administration was doomed from the start, many observers say. With Manila keeping the real power to levy taxes and write laws, Mindanao was autonomous in name only.
Groups who desire to douse Muslim fears say that a federal system would be different because under such a system, regional governments would be less reliant on Manila and would have more legitimacy. However, Muslims know that federalism is not a new idea, and moves begun 10 years ago to devolve power to local government units have already decentralized authority. Muslims also know that implementing any radical change to the political system would be tough because it would require rewriting the constitution, a step the country is loathe to take.
Hashim, the veteran MILF leader who rejected previous deals offering autonomy to the Philippines' Muslim minority, continues to insist that the demand for full independence is not negotiable. He says, "We have lost confidence in the Philippine government. We do not want the Philippine government to oppress our people forever. We do not want to fight the Philippine government. We are asking, we are demanding, a civilized way of solving the problem."
In Mindanao, a formidable arsenal of weapons backs the rhetoric; some manufactured by the MILF themselves. The fighting that flared up in January of this year only re-galvanized efforts to end a conflict that has drained government resources. According to some sources, over half the armed forces are deployed to battle the MILF.
To the Muslims of this beautiful but troubled land, the Philippine army is another foreign invader - just like the Spanish and the Americans before them. Today, they may be a minority, but poverty and a sense of injustice have instilled a new commitment to resist the enemy.
The Philippines government faces tough choices. While government forces are losing morale, the Muslim resolve is unshakable - as volunteers continue to enroll and train to defend the homeland.
Arroyo's government needs to assess the costs, soften the rhetoric, and seriously work for a compromise. The autonomy game invented by her predecessors has not worked and Mrs. Arroyo needs to vacate the occupation of Mindanao before the situation worsens for her nation - the negative impact of war is too much of a price to pay for continuing the stranglehold on a territory that never belonged to the Philippines. She needs to remember that her immediate predecessor even tried arming imported non-Muslims in Mindanao, giving them the right to kill at will. This also failed to move the Muslims. The message is clear that subterfuge will not work, and Manila must get out, and now.
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