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Philippines: OIC Urges MILF And Government To End Hostilities
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippines government to "promptly put an end to armed hostilities and to pursue peace talks toward finding a peaceful resolution to the existing problem in Mindanao."
The MILF has stepped up war efforts on a guerilla bases in the southern Philippines after the break down in backdoor negotiations for the resumption of full-fledged peace talks. There have been daily attacks on military convoys and personnel in the region.
Military forces continued their offensive against the MILF, who engaged them in attacks in certain parts of Mindanao resulting in casualties on both sides. The warring factions have yet to reach a compromise that will pave the way for resumption of peace negotiations, reports say.
However,, in a declaration that could spring more violence in the region, the OIC, in a draft resolution regarding "questions of Muslims in Southern Philippines," still recognizes the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as the sole and legitimate representative of the Bangsamoro people.
It says that the MNLF should be given more support for development, but did not state the amount of funds it intended to pledge for support or organization of the region, which contains 5 million Muslims living mostly in poverty and political oppression.
The OIC "urges member-states and subsidiary organs, specialized and affiliated institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank, to increase their economic, financial, technical and material assistance for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Southern Philippines.”
Through the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD) under the auspices of the MNLF, the OIC has been actively trying to bring development to the Southern Philippines.
The OIC also tasked a committee to make necessary contacts with the Philippine government and the MNLF to define a timetable for the implementation of their 1996 peace agreement.
The draft resolution came about after an OIC fact-finding mission visited Mindanao last October to assess the implementation of the peace accord.
Earlier, acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Franklin Ebdalin said the mission took notice of progress in Mindanao despite constraints faced by the government.
"It was good in the sense that they were not criticizing the Philippine government because we have been transparent," Ebdalin said.
Although the OIC team noted the slow pace in the implementation of the peace accord, it also considered problems in peace and order and the government’s lack of funds to carry out projects in Mindanao.
"The OIC recommends that we accelerate the implementation of the agreement and that the Philippine government and the MNLF should talk more often to come up with a timetable for the enforcement of the pact," Ebdalin said.
The OIC fact-finding mission also took notice of the presence of non-MNLF elements, including the MILF and the Abu Sayyaf, as other factors delaying the implementation of the agreement.
On the political aspect, the mission proposed that the government and the MNLF agree on the date of the plebiscite for the expansion of the ARMM’s coverage, set before next year’s elections in May.
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