RP-MILF Peace Talks Resume In Malaysia

Muslims pray outside a jampack mosque in Cotabato City in Maguindanao. Peace talks between Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Manila resume this week in Malaysia, ahead of the Ramadan, Islam's holiest month. (Mark Navales)

COTABATO CITY(Juan Magtanggol / 03 Sept)Peace talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are to resume in Kuala Lumpur as both sides try to resolve several contentious issues on the Muslim ancestral domain in Mindanao.

Ancestral domain refers to the MILF demand for territory that will constitute a Muslim homeland. It is the single most important issue in the peace negotiations before the rebel group can reach a political settlement.

Manila is currently negotiating peace with the MILF, which is fighting the past three decades for the establishment of a strict Islamic state in Mindanao.

The government previously announced that it was to sign a peace deal with the MILF by September or before the start of Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, but the MILF said this is unlikely after both sides earlier failed to agree on issues on ancestral domain and how the government and the rebel group would share natural resources in Mindanao.

"We will meet in Kuala Lumpur in the next few days and we will discuss some important matters, but we don't believe that a peace deal is likely, but we may extend the peace talks beyond September," Mohager Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, told the Mindanao Examiner on Sunday.

In September, government and rebel peace negotiators have signed several agreements centered on the ancestral domain -- its concept, territories and resources, and how the MILF shall govern these places.

Iqbal said the MILF has submitted its proposal to the government peace negotiators, but they disagreed on the scope of coverage of the Muslim ancestral domain. "There are still some contentious issues and these are the scope of Muslim territories under the ancestral domain and how the government and the MILF would share the resources in these areas," he said.

"The ball is already in the hands of the government peace negotiators. We have submitted our position and it is all up to them. We may not be able to meet the deadline to sign the peace deal and we will ask for an extension of the peace talks. We cannot see any peace deal by September, not even this year unless the government and MILF agreed on the proposals," Iqbal said.
Silvestre Afable, the head of the government peace panel, previously admitted difficulties in the talks, particularly in determining and the delimitation of areas to be placed under a prospective Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

"The GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) Panel is now working closely with the pertinent government agencies to come up with clear, concrete and feasible methods of validation and we will strive to fast track the work to keep our present timeline on track, despite the delays," he said.Afable said both sides have agreed to conduct further ground validation and collection of additional data to guide them in the resolution of Muslim territorial issues.The ancestral domain covers the five Muslim autonomous provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. And other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes.

The MILF previously said it is willing to compromise if only to arrive at an acceptable, reasonable and comprehensive agreement that would include not only the Muslims, but all 18 ethnic tribal groups in Mindanao. Once an agreement is reached on how the MILF can govern these areas, government and rebel peace negotiators would finally discuss the political settlement of the country's longest-running Muslim insurgency problem.

Japan and Sweden have also began talks with the MILF about sending peace keepers in Mindanao and help in Manila's efforts end the strife in the mineral-rich, but dangerous southern region, Eid Kabalu, a rebel spokesman, said on Sunday.

Kabalu said Sweden was proposing to send a 10-man team to join the Malaysian-led international truce observers deployed around Mindanao.

"Sweden says it is committed to join the international peace keepers in Mindanao and the MILF welcomes this development. We are looking forward to working with them because the MILF is also committed to bring peace in Mindanao," Kabalu said.

Kabalu said a small group of senior Swedish officials led by Ambassador to Manila, Annika Markovic, met Friday with top MILF leaders headed by Murad Ebrahim at a rebel base in Maguindanao province. Sweden proposed to deploy two peace keepers each for the five team sites of the 60-man International Monitoring Team in the cities of Cotabato, Iligan, Davao City, General Santos and Zamboanga.

He said Japan also wanted to join the IMT in Mindanao and sent its representatives Thursday in Maguindanao to meet with Ebrahim and other senior rebel leaders about its humanitarian role in helping rebuild war-torn areas in the region.

Kabalu said the Japanese delegation was headed by Akio Isomata, director of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Southeast Asian Desk; and Ministers Takeo Takashi and Yoshi Ishikawa, of the Japanese Embassy in Manila. "Japan wanted a bigger role in helping in the peace process by working more on the humanitarian and development and economic aspects that will benefit the people of Mindanao," he said.

The MILF, Kabalu said, praised Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for Japan's role in the peace process. “Japan is a good partner in peace-making in Mindanao and we thank Japan for its decision to join the International Monitoring Team in its socio-economic aspect of monitoring," Ebrahim said.

Tokyo is also sending an economic expert who will closely work with the IMT to monitor relief, rehabilitation and development projects in the conflict affected areas in Mindanao, Kabalu said. "We appreciate Japan's effort and we hope to work closely with Tokyo in pursuing peace and development in Mindanao," he said.

But Kabalu said Japan and Sweden's participation in the IMT need the approval of the Philippines and Malaysia.

President Gloria Arroyo opened peace negotiations with the MILF in 2001 and Malaysia, an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, is helping broker the talks in en effort to bring stability to the region. Malaysia sent the peace keepers in 2004 to monitor a 5-year truce between government and rebel forces.

Many Muslim countries, including the United States and the European Union, Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia have pledged to help in the development of Mindanao once the peace agreement is signed. The Australian Agency for International Development has already contributed over $17 million in peace and development projects in Mindanao the past seven years.