Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels listen to a briefing by their commander during a patrol on a remote hinterland village in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao. The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with Manila, has propose for a federal form of government for some 4 million Muslims in the restive South, where troops are battling the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for a series of terrorism in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner/Juan Magtanggol) MAGUINDANAO (Juan Magtanggol / 22 Oct) – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) warned Sunday that the inclusion of its leader and some members to criminal charges over the recent bombings in the southern Philippines may lead to the collapse of the peace talks with Manila, a rebel leader said.
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, warned that the peace talks may fail unless Manila quickly remove the inclusion of Murad Ebrahim and other MILF members from the criminal charges the police filed against the rebel chieftain.
“The inclusion of Brother Murad Ebrahim and some of our MILF members in the criminal complaints really complicates the situation leading to the collapse of peace talks and poses additional obstacles to the search for just peace and solution to the Mindanao conflict,” Iqbal told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police linked Ebrahim, chieftain of the MILF, and some of his commanders, including Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek and a Pakistani national, Usman al Majad, in the October 10 bombing in Makilala town in North Cotabato province where six people had died and more than two dozen others injured.
Two more attacks occurred in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao that killed several people.
The MILF strongly denied it was involved in any of the attacks, but North Cotabato governor, Emmanuel Pinol, a staunch critic of the rebel group, also implicated a senior rebel leader, Basit Usman, in the Makilala bombing.
Iqbal earlier said that the peace negotiations with Manila may be imperiled after police filed criminal charges against the MILF chieftain.
He said: “Brother Murad is such a person of fairness, justice, and moderation that we know for more than 30 years as comrades in the MILF struggle. We know he did not and will never commit that criminal act, both as a personal conviction and on the basis of the MILF Islamic ideology and policies.”
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate Islamic state similar to Iran.
Iqbal said there is an urgent need to save the peace talks. “To my mind, there is only one way to ease the tension and anxiety brought about by this ironic twist of event; that is, to drop immediately the names of MILF leaders and members mentioned in the baseless criminal complaints relating to the Tacurong and Makilala bombing incidents,” he said.
Manila began peace negotiations with the MILF in 2001, but no major accord has been signed by both sides, except for a cease-fire agreement. And many rebels are slowly losing their patience on the five-year old peace talks.
Peace talks ended last month in Malaysia with both sides failing to sign any agreement on the most contentious issue -- ancestral domain -- which 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.
Malaysia, an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, is brokering the peace talks.
Ebrahim this month warned that Manila should be blamed if the peace talks fail. He said the talks are now passing “a turbulent area” and that the Filipino government must take responsibility for the breakdown of the negotiations.
“This signals that we are now on the danger zone of the peace talks,” Ebrahim said, referring to the failure of the negotiations on Sept. 9 held in Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks.
The MILF has rejected Manila's offer for a limited autonomy in the mineral-rich, but restive Mindanao island, home to about 4 million Muslims who want a separate Islamic state.
Iqbal previously said the Philippine government offered them the 5-province Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages in exchange for a peace deal.
"They offered the MILF the whole of the Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages scattered in Mindanao, but all these are subject to Philippine legislation. The offer is just like a leopard skin and we did not agree with it."
"Peace cannot be unilaterally imposed on the MILF and the Muslim people," Iqbal said.
The Muslim autonomous region is composed of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi -- which are among the poorest in the country torn by strife and clan wars since its creation in 1989.
The MILF previously proposed that the Muslims be given an option to choose in a referendum whether they wanted Mindanao to be an independent state or not.
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. (Mindanao Examiner)
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, warned that the peace talks may fail unless Manila quickly remove the inclusion of Murad Ebrahim and other MILF members from the criminal charges the police filed against the rebel chieftain.
“The inclusion of Brother Murad Ebrahim and some of our MILF members in the criminal complaints really complicates the situation leading to the collapse of peace talks and poses additional obstacles to the search for just peace and solution to the Mindanao conflict,” Iqbal told the Mindanao Examiner.
Police linked Ebrahim, chieftain of the MILF, and some of his commanders, including Jemaah Islamiya bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek and a Pakistani national, Usman al Majad, in the October 10 bombing in Makilala town in North Cotabato province where six people had died and more than two dozen others injured.
Two more attacks occurred in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao that killed several people.
The MILF strongly denied it was involved in any of the attacks, but North Cotabato governor, Emmanuel Pinol, a staunch critic of the rebel group, also implicated a senior rebel leader, Basit Usman, in the Makilala bombing.
Iqbal earlier said that the peace negotiations with Manila may be imperiled after police filed criminal charges against the MILF chieftain.
He said: “Brother Murad is such a person of fairness, justice, and moderation that we know for more than 30 years as comrades in the MILF struggle. We know he did not and will never commit that criminal act, both as a personal conviction and on the basis of the MILF Islamic ideology and policies.”
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate Islamic state similar to Iran.
Iqbal said there is an urgent need to save the peace talks. “To my mind, there is only one way to ease the tension and anxiety brought about by this ironic twist of event; that is, to drop immediately the names of MILF leaders and members mentioned in the baseless criminal complaints relating to the Tacurong and Makilala bombing incidents,” he said.
Manila began peace negotiations with the MILF in 2001, but no major accord has been signed by both sides, except for a cease-fire agreement. And many rebels are slowly losing their patience on the five-year old peace talks.
Peace talks ended last month in Malaysia with both sides failing to sign any agreement on the most contentious issue -- ancestral domain -- which 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.
Malaysia, an influential member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, is brokering the peace talks.
Ebrahim this month warned that Manila should be blamed if the peace talks fail. He said the talks are now passing “a turbulent area” and that the Filipino government must take responsibility for the breakdown of the negotiations.
“This signals that we are now on the danger zone of the peace talks,” Ebrahim said, referring to the failure of the negotiations on Sept. 9 held in Malaysia, which is brokering the peace talks.
The MILF has rejected Manila's offer for a limited autonomy in the mineral-rich, but restive Mindanao island, home to about 4 million Muslims who want a separate Islamic state.
Iqbal previously said the Philippine government offered them the 5-province Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages in exchange for a peace deal.
"They offered the MILF the whole of the Muslim autonomous region and 613 other Muslim villages scattered in Mindanao, but all these are subject to Philippine legislation. The offer is just like a leopard skin and we did not agree with it."
"Peace cannot be unilaterally imposed on the MILF and the Muslim people," Iqbal said.
The Muslim autonomous region is composed of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi -- which are among the poorest in the country torn by strife and clan wars since its creation in 1989.
The MILF previously proposed that the Muslims be given an option to choose in a referendum whether they wanted Mindanao to be an independent state or not.
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. (Mindanao Examiner)
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