Malaysia committed to RP peace process, says Army chief

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia remains com-mitted to pushing peace in the troubled southern Philippines despite a scheduled pullout of its monitors, Malaysia`s Army chief said yesterday.

“As far as Malaysia is concerned, we are not abandoning the peace process in the South,” visiting military chief Gen. Abdul Aziz Zainal told Manila reporters.

“Malaysia will continue to take on the commitment,” said Zainal, who was due to meet with his contingent in southern Mindanao island at the weekend to discuss their impending withdrawal in September.

Malaysia has led an international team tasked with monitoring a truce between Manila and the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which has waged a bloody campaign for a separate Muslim homeland since 1978.

The team also includes peace keepers from Muslim nations Libya and Brunei as

well as observers from Japan.

Aziz said his government was negotiating a possible redeployment under a new “format” that may see a limited number of Malaysian forces remaining in the Philippines.

The presence of the international monitors in Mindanao has led to a drop in the number of clashes, from 589 incidents in 2004 to only 15 violations last year, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Hermogenes Esperon. Jr. said.

Aziz insisted the truce would hold following the Malaysian pull out, even though MILF leaders have warned of possible fresh violence.

“We are very confident that the situation will continue to improve,” he said.

Malaysian officials had earlier cited an impasse in peace talks between the MILF and the government as reason for the withdrawal.

In a major breakthrough, both parties last year signed an agreement to create a Muslim homeland in the south. But the talks bogged down amid disputes over economic control of areas covered under the so-called “ancestral domain”

Meanwhile, Luwaran, the MILF website, reported that former ARMM Gov. Nur Misuari is reportedly considering Cotabato City or Davao City as the two most probable places where he will be taking up his residence and once again direct the affairs of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which is now badly hit by serious internal wrangling.

Former secretary general of the MNLF Muslimin Sema, now mayor of Cotabato City, assumed the chairmanship not only of the MNLF-Executive Committee but the original MNLF, which is still led by Misuari.

Sema plans to run for governor for the ARMM. Hatimil Hassan from Basilan is also aspiring for the same position.

Misuari is also being groomed by some quarters identified with the government to be the government candidate for the forthcoming elections in the ARMM.

An MILF officer, who requested anonymity, told Luwaran that Misuari is welcomed in Central Mindanao, saying that it has always been the view of the MILF to see him free again.

“We want him close to us for the sake of unity,” he stressed, adding, however, that such unity will not be at the expense of one group bowing down to the other.”

The same website stated that the Malaysia-led International Monitoring Team (IMT) will vacate its four team sites in Mindanao by next month.

It stated that the IMT Team Site 2 based in Iligan City, Team Site 3 based in Zamboanga City, Team Site 4 based in General Santos City and Team Site 5 based in Metro Davao is going to be closed down effective May 10, 2008, a situation leaving the areas of Zamboanga peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao provinces, Socsargen, and Davao provinces without peace monitors and peacekeepers on the ground for the ongoing MILF – GRP peace process. If this happens, what would remain is the IMT Team Site 1 based in Cotabato City being handled by the 10-man Brunei contingent and the IMT Headquarters also based in Cotabato City being manned by Malaysians, Libyans and a Japanese.

Accordingly, the original 60-man IMT composition will be trimmed down to 30-man should the close down of the team sites push through.

Recently, Malaysia`s Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said, as quoted in Bernama News Agency, “the mandate for the International Monitoring Team (IMT) will not be extended after it expires in September”

“The thing is, we have to get cooperation from both sides. “But if one party is not making the effort, we will have to end the mission.” Minister Yatim said as quoted in the news.

In a related development, Marawi bishop Edwin Dela Peña said it would be best for the Philippine government and the secessionist MILF to resume the stalled peace talks for the benefit of the Filipino people.

Interviewed over Radio Veritas early Wednesday morning, the prelate said the Bishop Ulama Conference paid tribute to the late Gov. Mahid Mutilan, one of the prime movers of the conference and discussed matters on reconciliation as viewed by Catholics, Protestants and Muslims.

Dela Peña said most Mindanaoans desire to have long and lasting peace and a “return no normal lives.” He added Muslims and Christians in Marawi have lived together peacefully.

“My recommendation to President Arroyo is to return to the negotiating table and resume the stalled peace talks,” the prelate added.

Asked if he sees sincerity on the part of the MILF, Dela Pena said “they are sincere” but suggested that the government go beyond the block brought about by “constitutional infirmity” to resolve the issues soonest.

Source: www.tribune.net

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