Prepare For Long Struggle For Freedom, MILF Tells Rebels

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 1, 2008) – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front called on its members to prepare for a long struggle for freedom as rebel forces fought government troops in the southern Philippines.

“The central leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has called on its members throughout Mindanao and Sulu to prepare for a long struggle for freedom and right of self determination of the Bangsamoro people,” said a statement posted on the rebel group’s web site which can be accessed on this URL http://www.luwaran.com.

Fighting also erupted Tuesday in the town of Aleosan in North Cotabato province, where the MILF maintains a huge stronghold. The clash broke out after rebel forces resisted government soldiers trying to enter the village of Pagangan, said Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the MILF.

“There will be fighting in Mindanao unless the Philippine military stop encroaching into MILF communities,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

But the military blamed the MILF for the fighting, saying, rebels attacked soldiers securing a highway in the town. “The MILF attack our troops who were securing a highway and this triggered the fighting,” said Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, the spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

Ando said rebel forces also attacked with mortars and automatic weapons several military posts in the town. He said more than 100 rebels clashed with government troops for several hours until MILF forces retreated to the hinterlands.

There were no reports of casualties from both sides.

Manila is currently negotiating peace with the MILF, the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for independence for the past three decades. But peace talks stalled last year over MILF demands for ancestral domain, which is the single most important aspect in the seven-year negotiations.

Fierce fighting between rebels and soldiers had been reported in different provinces in Mindanao and Basilan island the past two months after Malaysia, disgruntled over the slow progress of the peace talks, pulled out dozens of its truce observers.

Malaysia, which brokering the peace negotiations, blamed Manila for stalling the talks. A small group of Malaysian truce observers deployed with the International Monitoring Team in Mindanao is also expected to return home next month when the terms of reference of the cease-fire group ends.

The MILF has previously warned Manila that the pull of the Malaysian truce observers would put the peace talks in jeopardy because of the military’s continued violations of the cease-fire agreement.

Ando disputed the MILF claims and said rebel forces were violating the truce by attacking government patrol and military detachments in Mindanao.

Philippine authorities also linked the MILF to Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya and accused the rebels as behind the spate of bombings in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)