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Wednesday, May 14, 2003
MILF says Arroyo warning to cause anarchy
CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Muslim leaders warned Tuesday that President Arroyo's June 1 deadline for Moro separatists to end attacks on civilians and cut links with terror groups or be treated as terrorists themselves would plunge Mindanao deeper into chaos and violence.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) spokesman Eid Kabalu said that although they are snubbing Arroyo's "stupid and ridiculous deadline," it might fuel anger among their members and local commanders who have been given "autonomy" to stage field assaults.
Bangsamoro People's Consultative Assembly chairman Abhoud Syed Lingga, on the other hand, said Arroyo committed a blunder when she gave the deadline.
Arroyo's deadline and her threat to have separatist rebels labeled as terrorists will "fuel the already burning fire of conflict" in Mindanao resulting in more clashes and more civilians getting caught in the crossfire.
Lingga represents an umbrella group with more than 2.6 million Bangsamoro people as members.
The warning brought the government closer to ending its bid for a political settlement to the 25-year rebellion waged by the MILF in Mindanao, the southern third of the mainly Roman Catholic country.
"The government is nearing a decision point on whether to declare the MILF a terrorist organization, and to take the necessary operational and diplomatic measures to strengthen this prospective policy," Arroyo said in a written statement.
Restrictions
Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said a terror tag would lead to "the possible restriction of funds from donor organizations to a terrorist organization," as well as "restrictions on the travel of individual members of the organization."
Kabalu dismissed Arroyo's threat. "What will they freeze? We don't have a single centavo," he told reporters.
"The MILF is not receiving financial support," from abroad, he stressed.
Bunye also said there was "a possibility of foreclosing the peace talks if the MILF is eventually declared as a terrorist organization," but noted that similar action did not affect peace talks involving Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers or the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Kabalu said the deadline was not "a product of consultation and negotiation" but was being dictated to them. "How do you expect us to react? Makasamot lang kini (This will only aggravate the situation)."
Arroyo, he added, is probably in a state of amnesia to "totally forget" who fired the first shot in Pikit, Cotabato. "It was the government who started this, they should end it. They should withdraw."
Citing the New People's Army (NPA) as an example, Kabalu said the declaration of the communist group as a terrorist organization did not do the government any good as it emboldened the guerillas to become "more bold" in pursuing their case.
Like terrorists
Professor Lingga, on the other hand, said tagging the MILF as a terror group might result in its members acting "like terrorists" and totally abandoning the path to peace.
"There will be nothing holding them back," he said.
What Arroyo should do is to appoint a new chairman for her government peace panel to replace Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza and immediately schedule the resumption of the peace talks with the MILF, Lingga added.
According to Lingga, there is no other solution to the Mindanao conflict but to address the cause pursued by the MILF and the Bangsamoro people.
"For even if they sign a peace agreement with the MILF and the problem is not addressed then there will be another MILF who will surface and we will be again at war here in Mindanao," he pointed out.
Arroyo suspended peace talks last week following a wave of attacks blamed on the MILF that have claimed nearly 100 lives in Mindanao since March.
The government on Tuesday repeated a previous demand for the 12,500-member MILF to renounce the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group as well as foreign Islamic militant organizations including Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda.
The MILF has denied responsibility for the Mindanao blasts, and rejected allegations that it helped Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for the deadly Bali bombing last year, and al-Qaeda.
Developments
Foreign Secretary Blas Ople on Monday briefed envoys of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), grouping more than 50 Muslim nations, of the Mindanao developments.
"It is our impression that whatever position we take would now be supported by the OIC," Bunye said.
A number of Muslim countries had previously given material backing to the rebels.
But OIC member Malaysia in recent years has fretted about the possible tidal wave of war refugees, and has been hosting informal peace talks between Manila and the MILF.
Malaysian ambassador to Manila Taufik Mohammed Noor said a terrorist tag would affect his government's treatment of the MILF, under the trilateral accord on counter-terrorism signed by Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Manila last year.
"I would imagine that the terms of the agreement would have to come into effect," he said, stressing, "I do not think it has been proven that some leaders of the MILF are residing in Malaysia."
He added: "We do not support any efforts by any party in the Philippines to seek secession." Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/With AFP
(May 14, 2003 issue)
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