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by Kazi Mahmood KUALA LUMPUR (Islam Online) - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejected a general amnesty granted by Philippine President Joseph Estrada to its members and fighters in Mindanao. It says the amnesty offer is part of a government campaign to split the group's leadership. The amnesty covers MILF members and supporters who had committed offenses on or before Sept. 29, the day the amnesty was issued. "We won't succumb to the amnesty. It's not enough. The MILF problem could be settled through political settlement," MILF spokesman Ed Kabalu said. He also added that this kind of offer from Estrada was highly expected due to the military's "failure to disable their group, since the military waged an all-out war early this year. "This [amnesty] is just part of the government's war against the movement. They want to divide us, but no one will apply for this amnesty of the government," he said. The MILF believes the government of Joseph Estrada is not serious in seeking peace with the group since the earlier all-out offensive against the group's strongholds in Mindanao. The army captured at least 50 camps, including the famous Camp Abubakar, in July. "The government is not sincere in its call for peace negotiations while at the same time continuing an all-out war policy. Peace talks and war do not blend together." Kabalu said, adding that the amnesty offer was meant for the MILF to give up its secessionist bid to create an Islamic state in the ravaged southern Philippines. "The amnesty is telling us to give up our bid for an Islamic state. We are being made to surrender. "MILF will not drop its bid for an independent state unless the problems in Mindanao are solved," the MILF spokesman said. In July of this year, the MILF stormed out of negotiations when Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim offered ransoms on MILF Chairman Hashim Salamat and the Vice Chairman for Military Affairs, Al Haj Murad. The MILF has said it is willing to go back to the negotiation table provided the government lifted these bounties and held the peace talks outside the Philippines. Kabalu suggested that these talks might take place in Malaysia or Indonesia. Kabalu said the government should also recognize previous agreements with the MILF and give a written statement on the present offer of amnesty. "The MILF remains a strong force to be reckoned with since it has more than 100,000 fighters all over Mindanao, contrary to military propaganda that the MILF's armed strength was reduced to 5,000 to 7,000 men." Kabalu recently said at the time when the movement decided to call for "Jihad", or holy war, against the Philippines government. He brushed aside reports of recent surrenders of MILF commanders and their men, saying the surrendered were criminals or members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that forged a peace agreement with the government in 1996. The MNLF of Nur Misuari, now the governor of the Mindanao province, signed a peace treaty with the Philippines government in the early 1990s. This treaty's legitimacy stands upon provisions that major development efforts in the area must be initiated and sustained. The MILF insists that there is no real development in Mindanao, and that the people are left in poverty. The MILF blames the MNLF for the current crisis in the southern region of the Philippines, saying that Nur Misuari has abandoned the people for his own personal benefit. Reports say that the majority of the MNLF ulama and fighters have since joined the MILF. |
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