New Malaysian Truce Observers Arrive In Mindanao

Some members of the new batch of Malaysian truce observers arrive Friday 18 Aug 2006 in Maguindanao province in Mindanao island, south of the Philippines. (Mark Navales)

COTABATO CITY (Mark Navales / 18 Aug) At least 16 members of the Malaysian Army arrived here on Friday to join the International Monitoring Team deployed in the restive Mindanao region.

More are expected to arrive soon.

The new truce observers arrived onboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force C-130 transport plane at the Awang airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao.

They include four army lieutenant colonels, eight army majors, four army captains, an army sergeant, an army corporal, a navy commander, three navy lieutenant commanders, a navy lieutenant, an air force lieutenant colonel, two air force majors, two air force captains, three police deputy superintendents, and two police chief inspectors.

About three dozen IMT members, mostly Malaysians, are to return home Friday after a year of duty in central Mindanao.

At least 35 more from the Royal Malaysian Army (RMA), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), and the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) together with Malaysian civilians are arriving to replace the departing truce observers.

The head of the IMT, Major General Dato’ Pahlawan Soheimi bin Abbas, is also expected to fly back to Malaysia on August 28. He will be replaced Army Brigadier General Dato’ Mohd Ismail bin Ahman Khan as the new head of mission.