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MILF Ceasefire Welcomed
by Kazi Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Islam Online) - The Philippines government announced Monday that it welcomed reports that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has declared its own ceasefire following the government's own suspension of military operations against the group last month.
Government officials said the MILF's show of goodwill should lead to the eventual resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the separatist group.
"If this is true, this means the next step is for the MILF to organize their peace panel so that we can already resume the stalled peace talks," an official said.
The separatist group said they are willing to discuss peace, but that they wanted to see the sincerity of the government. They asked that their troops remain on the defensive and not attack any government forces if it was not necessary.
MILF and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) soldiers have clashed several times since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration launched its all out peace attempt two weeks ago.
The government peace panel, led by presidential adviser on eastern Mindanao, Jesus Dureza, had conducted backroom channeling in order to convince MILF leaders to accept the government's offer to resume talks.
The MILF's central committee held a meeting Friday in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, where they agreed to respond positively to the government's offer to reopen peace talks.
On the other hand, the separatist movement has been singled out for planting landmines near villages and is accused of fighting in an unconventional manner.
Colonel Fredesvindo Covarrubias of the Philippines' military's Southern Command, revealed that two soldiers were seriously wounded when they stepped on a landmine planted by the MILF in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao Friday.
The two were on foot patrol when one of them stepped on a landmine that exploded, wounding both of them critically.
In addition, "civilians, mostly farmers, have also fallen victims to landmines planted by the (Moro) rebels," Covarrubias said.
"As many governments condemn the use of landmines around the world, here in the Philippines the guerrillas continue unabated the planting of explosives...of landmines that already killed many innocent and hapless civilians," he said.
The military said the MILF continue to plant landmines in many areas of Maguindanao, a traditional stronghold of the group in central Mindanao, where sporadic fighting still continues despite Manila's unilateral truce with the Moro separatist group.
The MILF could not be reached by IslamOnline to clarify the situation about the landmines.
On Friday, the MILF announced it was willing to resume peace talks if mediated by the Organization of Islamic Conference, or a member state of the OIC.
The MILF is a breakaway faction of the larger Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which signed a peace accord with Manila in September 1996.
But many disgruntled MNLF members have either joined the MILF or the Abu Sayyaf because the government allegedly failed to improve standards of living.
Under the provisions of the accord with the MNLF, the government would provide the thousands of separatists with housing and livelihood assistance to enable them to start a new life.
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