AJLPP Update

Mindanao War

Dec. 31,2008

MILF Set Conditions For The Resumption of peace talks with GRP

Los Angeles--The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has set its conditions for the resumption of the GRP-MILF Peace talks in the coming new year-2009.

The AJLPP sources learned that based on the an earlier decision by the MILF Central Committee and Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, issued the statement on December 26, 2008.

Murad said the MILF is “open to resume the ‘collapsed’ or stalled” peace negotiations with the Philippine government.

This in deference to the call of both the local and international communities to resume the talks and stop the fighting and to the standing policy of the MILF that the track of peace and negotiation is the “most practical and civilized way of solving the age-old Moro Problem and armed conflict in Mindanao.”

MILF Response

This was the response to the steps taken by the US-Arroyo regime that formed its own new peace panel after dissolving it early this year. The panel was formed after the Supreme Court the MOA as "unconstitutional".

The MILF did not form a new panel and maintained its own panel. Meanwhile the GRP beefed up its peace panel with the addition of foreign affairs diplomats and known Muslim peace advocates.

Stop the humanitarian crisis in Mindanao

On the other hand, the MILF and its Chairman (Murad) also cited the need to stop the humanitarian crisis developing in Mindanao now, where more than 600,000 civilians or evacuees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) were uprooted from their homes and farmlands.

However, Murad stressed that the debacle in Malaysia must not be repeated. He was referring to the botched Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) which the government did not sign.

“The debacle still haunts us,” he confessed.

Because of this “bitter experience”, the MILF wants an international guarantee once the peace talks resume, which will ensure that both the government and the MILF will comply and honor agreement or agreements they forge.

Resolve the Issues

The MILF also wants the GRP and MILF to resolve the issue of the MOA-AD which the MILF viewed as “done deal” in contrary to GRP’s “no deal” and “unconstitutional” stance; the International Monitoring Team (IMT) will be allowed to discharge its duties and functions.

Other issues contained in the official statement are as follows:

1.The International Monitoring Team (IMT) will be allowed to discharge its duties and functions, as contained in the IMT Term of Reference (TOR) including the investigation of all the violations of the ceasefire since July 1, 2008 up to the present;

2. the AFP immediately cease military offensive in Mindanao against the MILF even in the guise of running after its three “rogue commanders”,

3. pursuant to and in compliance with the Security Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace on June 22, 2001 in order to put a halt to the mass evacuation of people as well as the accompanying destruction to houses, farmlands, working animals, and other properties,

4. pursuant to the Relief, Rehabilitation, and Humanitarian Aspect of the same Agreement;

5.and Malaysia will stay as facilitator of the peace talks.

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