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Monday, April 11, 2005
Student group says peace talks may raise empty hopes anew
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
A MUSLIM-Christian student group expressed fears Sunday the scheduled resumption of the talks between Moro separatists and the government this month would only go down the drain.
In a statement to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, Students for Mindanao Peace and Development leader Sheila Macapanton said they are not banking so much on the scheduled April 16 talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government.
"We have practically ran out of whatever little is left of optimism over the possibility of the resumption of peace talks between the government and the MILF peace negotiators," she said.
Macapanton cited how over two years had passed since the peace gab was suspended after the armed encounter of government and MILF forces in Buliok, Pikit, North Cotabato.
She said nothing ever came close to a genuine gesture of willingness to come back to the negotiating table.
"Each time a schedule is made a pocket uprising happens," she said.
According to this student leader, "if the government forces would initiate the attack, what happened next is the fizzling of the government, which offered to host and mediate the peace talk, comes out with another incredible reason to suspend the holding of the negotiation."
"What had been happening is a cycle of empty expectations, double talk and rhetoric. And now they are saying that the peace talks will resume on April 16," Macapanton said. "If we go by the bloody events that had preceded all of the scheduled peace talks in the past, it is best that the government took the precautionary measures and anticipated a sneaky attack from MILF renegades."
She said they are almost certain it will happen--an assault on military installation or an ambuscade.
"And if these are not possible, expect the Malaysian host to announce it is not prepared to host the talks in the meantime," she said.
Macapanton believes that there are a number of incomprehensible moves that had been happening in this protracted peace talks between the MILF separatist elements and the government.
"We do not know whether the ceasefire is of any significance now," she said.
She added that the delicate truce had been punctuated with armed conflicts along with disturbing intelligence reports that the MILF had been harboring elements of Jemaah Islamiyah and other fundamentalists Muslims who had virtually become clones of Al Qaeda terror forces.
Instead of falling into the trap by swallowing the bait of another promise of resumption of peace talks, Macapanton said the government should now pursue a hard line position.
Also, to come up with terms and condition that are fair and just, demand for the laying down of arms, resettle Muslims back to Camp Abubakar, and give them the assistance to be economically viable.
"If the MILF is really in earnest to sign a lasting and stable peace accord with the government, they should stop being snooty by demanding that the venue be held in Kuala Lumpur," she said.
Macapanton said perhaps it's about time that they consider the late MILF Chairman, Hashim Salamat, request for the United States to intervene and mediate.
"After all, it's the US, not Malaysia, that had a more tangible agenda of extending aid and assist in the rehabilitation of the conflict areas in Mindanao," she said.
"Two years is enough for Malaysian-sponsored peace talks. All we had were high hopes and failures. We should thank Malaysia for their valiant effort but it's about time that we try another mediator. Forget the April schedule it is just another fools day," she also added.
(April 11, 2005 issue)
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