MERGED: MILF-GRP Peace Process, Related Issues and Developments

[grabehbebe]

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GRP, MILF wrap up peace talks with positive deals



The peace panels of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Muslim secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) wrapped up their three-day exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend, successfully arriving on agreements that are vital to the ongoing peace process for the long strife-torn southern region of Mindanao.

In a joint statement, Silvestre Afable Jr., government peace panel chairman, and Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace panel chairman, declared substantive gains in the sensitive issue of ancestral domain being pushed by the rebel group, but said that more work had to be done on the issue of territory, particularly in the determination and delimitation of areas to be placed under a prospective Bangsamoro Judicial Entity (BJE).

The panels achieved significant progress in defining the concept, sharing the resources and establishing governance in the BJE but were held back from reaching a full consensus on the matter by the highly technical nature of discussions on the delineation and demarcation of territory.

For this purpose, they agreed to conduct further ground validation and collection of additional data to guide them in the resolution of remaining items.

The talks were held under an atmosphere of frankness, cordiality, and goodwill marking the commitment of both sides to uphold and advance the gains already achieved in the ancestral domain agenda.

The two panels expressed deep satisfaction over the contribution of the multinational International Monitoring Team (IMT) in working with the ceasefire committees of the Philippine government and the MILF to sustain the ongoing ceasefire between them.

They also concurred on a raised idea to request Malaysia, Brunei and Libya to extend the mandate of their respective contingents to the IMT.

Both sides also agreed that the composition of the IMT should be added onto, to include the participation of other nations in monitoring the rehabilitation and development work in the southern Philippines which is being undertaken in line with the government’s efforts to achieve ultimate peace in the South.

They decided to extend the mandate of the GRP-MILF Ad Hoc Joint Action Group’s interim guidelines for a period of one year once its mandate ends on June 21.

The panels furthermore committed to move for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute, which is being envisioned by the MILF to become an agent of change in the social and political life of the Muslim people in Mindanao.

In this regard, they will also seek the assistance of the Development Academy of the Philippines to compliment the current Malaysian capacity-building efforts in the South.

The panels reached a consensus to immediately activate a joint advocacy team in order to formulate and undertake a program of public information aimed at raising board awareness of, and support for, the peace process.

They also welcomed the entry of the United Nations World Food Program and other organizations in Mindanao in support of the peace process prior to the signing of the comprehensive agreement.

The panels agreed that such mission should be done in coordination with the Bangsamoro Development Agency.

Both panels expressed their gratitude to Malaysian Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Bin Haji Ahmad Badawi and to President Arroyo, for their unstinting support for the Mindanao peace process.

Meanwhile, a Japanese hospital chain is donating medicine to members of communities in Mindanao displaced by the decades-old Muslim separatist conflict there, the Philippine government announced yesterday.

The vaccines and antibiotics from Tokushukai Medical Corp. arrived in Manila last month and would be deployed in a medical mission to Mindanao from Wednesday, Afable said in a separate statement.

The Japanese aid is the second announced by Manila since it urged the international donor community to pour aid humanitarian aid into the island to support its ongoing peace talks with the MILF.

Last month the United Nations’ World Food Program announced it would launch in June a one-year, $27.2-million soup kitchen for the two million residents of conflict-torn communities in Mindanao.

The medical assistance will be provided by volunteer doctors and nurses under an MILF entity, the Bangsamoro Development Agency, in the provinces of Basilan, Davao Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat and Zamboanga del Sur, the statement said.

Manila and Kuala Lumpur expressed optimism over the ongoing peace talks between the GRP and the MILF as they also cited the Philippine government’s substantial achievements in pursuing comprehensive and durable peace in Mindanao.

During an official visit in Malaysia last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo predicted that the Philippine government and the MILF will reach a peace agreement by September.

Romulo said he is optimistic that the agreement will be signed after much of the differences between the government and Moslem rebels over the issue of ancestral domain is ironed out by the two camps.

The MILF, the largest Islamic separatist movement in the Mindanao, has been waging an armed struggle against the government for the past 25 years. It is believed to have about 12,000 armed members. It entered into a ceasefire with Manila three years ago to sit down with the Philippine government to discuss the possibility of reaching a political settlement of the rebellion in the South which began in the 1970s.
PNA, with AFP


http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/20060509nat2.html

[M@rv|n]

its all talks

[baron]

This is a giant step towards peace and unity in Mindanao. We all know that Mindanao is a conflict-based area because of the differences with the Bangsamoro people. With the mission of providing a common ground for peace, the Peace Panel has been stretching the hands of the Government without compromising the ideals of the country.

Hopefully, a peace agreement will come into place soon. This will truly open the doors of Mindanao for development which is currently hindered by armed conflicts which are known in the area.

[Freeza]

Peace Peace but there is no Peace


mmm i heard the same crap shit since i was a boy Peace talks Peace talks in mindanao then suddenly you will again hear the news rebel forces fighting government soldiers... the same cycle - Peace talks- regroup-re-arm- War- destruction- casualties -evacuations- ceasefire-----------Peace talks---another cycle

Mmm what can i say at least there is peace talks

[lestat1116]

sus peace na pud.. after a month patay na pud.. maypa tiwason na nila..

[Freeza]

mmm as far as i know even the MNLF which had a peace agreement with the ramos adminstration had no real peace with the Government....in a sense cause the group had no real control over their rebel units and so their are many so called lost commands just in the case of the MILF murad cant control his men there will always be splinter groups.. and this groups or lost commands will form another group or they will negotiate another peace deal. just think of itt he MILF is a splinter group of the MNLF im pretty sure another group will splinter from the mainstream MILF.

[bcasabee]

the only splinter group I know is the Abu Sayaf....but they are terrorists, the ones in which the government shouldn't negotiate with............

[baron]

I think the peace talks will now be more reinforced as GMA visited Saudi Arabia. One of the reasons for visiting KSA is to ask KSA for the Philippines to have an observer status in the OIC (Organization of the Islamic conference). This is vital in the current peace talks we are conducting with the MILF. As we have strengthened our ties with Saudi Arabia, this can be a forthcoming event.

I do hope that an agreement will be reached soon.

[grabehbebe]

Japan may join peace monitors in Mindanao


MALACAÑANG said yesterday it would be happy to see Japanese peace-keeping troops participating in an international group monitoring the ceasefire between government and Muslim rebels in Mindanao.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that while the Arroyo administration has no objection to Japan’s participation in the International Monitoring Team, this will be subject to the approval of Malaysia, head of the team, which is brokering the peace talks between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“This is indeed good news because of the interest (in the peace process) of a very influential and powerful country such as Japan, which is our biggest source of overseas development assistance,� Ermita told newsmen.

The Japanese government’s desire to become part of the IMT was conveyed by two Japanese diplomats who met with representatives of the MILF in Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao Sunday.

The diplomats were identified as Shigeo Yamada, director of the Southeast Asia Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and Hoshihisa Ishikawa, first secretary of the Japanese embassy in Manila.
MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said his group welcomes Japan’s involvement in the peace process.

Ermita said Japan may have expressed interest in contributing peacekeeping troops to the IMT after seeing that the ceasefire between the Armed Forces and MILF has been holding and both sides are sincerely pursuing the search for lasting peace in Mindanao. “We wish that Malaysia will agree (to Japan’s taking part in the monitoring team) because this will further encourage both parties, especially the MILF, to really stick by the procedures that have been agreed upon.�

Both government and MILF are looking forward to the forging of a final peace agreement before the end of the year. Government and MILF negotiators held another exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur early this week. While they were not able to strike a final settlement on the issue of political structure, they were able to resolve much of the contentious points on the ancestral domain.

At the same time, Ermita clarified that the International Monitoring Team was not a creation of the Organization of Islamic Conference. He said the IMT was formed by virtue of an agreement between the Philippines and Malaysia.

It was the OIC, which brokered the peace talks between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front through the Committee of the Eight led by Indonesia. The talks culminated in the signing of a peace accord on Sept. 2 1996.

By Fel V. Maragay
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?...s03_may12_2006

[Freeza]

I hope this Japs knows what they are planning to do errrrrr ehemÂ* Â*even the malaysian peace keepers who monitored the cease fire have some close calls .......The MILF nor the MNLF( at least 3 major factionsÂ* i dont know if they have already resolve their differences by now and can now be called united MNLF) does not really even control their so called territories there are too many so called LOST COMMANDS roaming around this figures does not even included the open declared bandits and terrorist like abusayaf..etc.. Local Datus village chiefs and local political Warlords who got some mini private armies each mostly company size 100++ men( RIDO or clan war is common government authority cant do anything practicaly and let the feuding clans solve the problem among themselves),ANd lose firearms mostly riflesÂ* are rampant in urban and country side maguindanao up to matalam area, lanao, sulo , basilan, zamboanga areas,sultan kudarat area errr many more,Â* , almost all farmers in the trouble area had rifles either given by the military as CVO for the gov, or personal or group protection, or rebel or warlord symphatizer influence area....

The MArines are effective in asserting government authority inÂ* the area mostly because they dont live there , for example sometimes they are deputize my the LTO to enforce law...and guess what they dont care if you are the mayor, the councilor or governor's,police or even military's son or a relatives or the person it self they willÂ* site you a ticket or impound your vehicle if you dont have proper documents most locAL enforment agencies in the area cant functions on this even the most basic task properly because they live in the area and things always get personal and the availability of gunss make violenceÂ* a statistic or personal grudge as the motive of your death what a crap sometimes if you call police number for assitance the operator will first ask sino ba? who ?? if by chance you mention some names some good names hehehehe betterÂ* run and dont bother calling...

So even by MIracle there is a peace deal which i pray there will be a finality these real problems which i have mention must have a separate peace deal among themselves...