Friday, August 29, 2008 Oledan: Deceit By Radzini Oledan
NOT a bit of remorse in the words of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad who claimed that the violence in the areas of Lanao del Norte, Sarangani, and North Cotabato during the last few weeks was a result of the failure to proceed with the official signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD).
What the MILF glaringly showed was its inability to control the people under its command who went into a rampage in various communities and put in further jeopardy the lives of the people.
At the most, it has justified the position of some hardline oppositionists to the expansion of territories that the group has held hostage several communities to be able to claim its demand.
But merely focusing on this aspect is tantamount to glossing over a very minute detail of the issue.
For several years, peace talks has often been stalled on the matter of ancestral domain, which is the single most important issue in the peace negotiation before the MILF and government can reach political settlement.
The ancestral domain defined all lands and areas, including the environment and natural resources of the Bangsamoro people, established through occupation, possession, and dominion since time immemorial by cultural bond, customary law, historic rights, and legal titles.
The ancestral domain covers the whole of the Muslim autonomous region 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. It also covers Palawan province.
The Moro people are just reclaiming their right over a territory, which was stealthily and forcibly taken away from them. The brutal murder of Moro people and the destruction of their properties planted the seeds of distrust.
The distrust and animosity was perpetuated with a militarist approach in ending the war in Mindanao. This, every time there is a snag in peace negotiations.
Capitalizing on the differences of faith between Christian and Moslem, it has fielded paramilitary groups for peacekeeping.
The war in Mindanao will continue simply because legitimate issues, such as the illegal usurpation of the legitimate right of peoples to freedom and self determination is almost always met by the terror of the State and the rebel groups.
There are no clear indications to show that signing a peace pact would finally lead to peace in Mindanao. What is glaring though is the lack of sincerity both from government authorities and rebel groups.
Peace building is not a double-edged sword where one could talk of peace and yet engage in manipulations to promote personal and political interests.
The peace process in Mindanao is not for someone who wants to extend political term. It is not for foreign multinationals to be able to finally gain full control of Mindanao and its rich natural resources. It is not about giving in to the whims and caprices of rebel groups.
It is for the people who want to productively live life and actively engage in all aspects of governance. Wonder no more, if most of the Moro people have ceased to believe that they are Filipinos. More than half of their lives are spent running away from bombs and bullets. Their whole lifetime is spent on reclaiming the land that was once taken away from them.
Peace will always be based on mutual respect and consensus. Never from deceit and manipulation. These are the same values which neither government nor the rebel forces are willing to give.
