Canada, Sweden offer to help monitor RP-MILF ceasefire



Manila--- US northern neighbor, Canada has offered to help monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

News sources reprted that Steven Rheault-Kihara, political relations counselor of the Canadian Embassy in Manila, made the offer during a meeting with MILF leaders in Maguindanao on Monday.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said Rheault-Kihara told them his government was willing to send a representative to the International Monitoring Team (IMT), which is being led by Malaysia.

Earlier, Japan also sent a representative to the IMT.

Mohagher Iqbal, MILF chief negotiator, said Rheault-Kihara also told them Canada was interested in sharing its expertise in governance with the indigenous peoples of Mindanao.

Aside from Canada, Jaafar said Sweden formally informed them of its intention to participate in the peace process. "Sweden is asking us to allow them 10 slots in the IMT," he said.

But Jaafar said the MILF could not decide on the offers by itself.

"It will be decided upon by Malaysia, the Philippine government and our party," he said.

Iqbal said the offers could be discussed by the major parties when peace negotiations resume. "We will discuss their plan to join in the IMT when peace talks resume in Kuala Lumpur next year," Iqbal said.

The peace talks hit a snag on the coverage of the proposed Bangsamoro territory. The MILF had demanded the inclusion of about 1,000 villages in the Bangsamoro juridical entity without any precondition but the government said it was willing to part with 600 villages. The government also said the future of the Bangsamoro entity would be subjected to a plebiscite.

But even with the suspension of the talks, the MILF said it was cooperating with the government, particularly in efforts against terror and criminality.

As this developed, Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesperson, called on businessmen in Linamon, Lanao del Norte not to give in to reported extortion attempts by some rebel leaders.

Earlier, the business community in the Linamon town received an extortion letter, which appeared to have come from the MILF's 103rd Base Command. The letter asked the businessmen to give P3,000 up to P10,000 a month in exchange for protection from ambushes, kidnappings and other crimes.

Kabalu said he would bring the issue before the MILF central committee. The central committee is the rebel group's highest policy-making body.

************