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Tuesday, October 09, 2004
Malaysia sends ceasefire monitoring team (3:30 p.m.)
KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia on Saturday sent a team of peace monitors to the Philippines to supervise a ceasefire between government forces and Muslim separatist rebels in strife-torn southern Mindanao island.
"The peace pact between the two parties will hopefully bring economic gains and political stability as well as improve the quality of life in the area, and contribute to regional security," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said at the airport.
"The team can contribute to the peace process and socio-economic development in Mindanao. Hopefully it will help free the Mindanao people from the conflict that has gone on for so long," Najib, who is also Defense Minister, said.
The team of 50 military, police and government officers will join an advance party of eight military officers and a policeman who departed for the Philippines on September 10.
The group is to handle complaints of violations of a 2002 ceasefire signed between the Philippines and the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which has been waging a 26-year separatist rebellion on this largely-Christian archipelago.
Armed Forces Chief General Mohamed Zahidi Zainuddin told the Bernama news agency that the Malaysian team was expected to be in the southern Philippines for about a year.
Other Organization of Islamic Conference members, which include Indonesia, Bangladesh and Middle Eastern countries, would be invited to take part in the peace mission, he said.
"Only Malaysia is spearheading the mission at present and Brunei has indicated that 10 of its representatives will join the monitoring team but it's yet to be confirmed," he said.
Only 60 members of the peace monitoring team would be deployed in the southern Philippines at any one time as determined by the Philippine government, he said.
Philippines armed forces chief General Narciso Abaya had said that the arrival of the Malaysian team "will enhance or bolster" the peace talks. (AFP)
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