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Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Malaysia to pullout peace monitors in Mindanao
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysia will probably withdraw its ceasefire monitors in Mindanao on September because of stalled peace talks between Manila and Muslim separatist rebels, the national news agency reported Monday.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Foreign Minister Rais Yatim, quoted by Bernama news agency, said Malaysia plans not to send more troops or other personnel to the island of Mindanao once the current mandate of its monitoring team ends in September.
"We have to get cooperation from both sides. But if one party is not making the effort, we will have to end the mission," Rais said.
The minister did not elaborate, and his aides could not immediately be reached.
Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales recently went to Kuala Lumpur to discuss with Malaysian officials the stalled peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Both Dureza and Gonzales reportedly conveyed to the Malaysian government the latest proposal of the Philippine government that the MILF would agree to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on ancestral domain without the strand on governance.
Dureza, however, did not confirm or deny the report in a text message to Sun.Star.
Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, out rightly dismissed the proposal as unacceptable to the MILF.
"We are not a bunch of fools who cannot see the devils in the proposal," he said, adding that MOA on ancestral domain cannot be completed without the strand on governance.
Mantawil warned that the dilly-dallying of the government is "taxing the patience of the MILF and annoying the good gesture of the Malaysian for facilitating the talks since 2001."
Malaysian officials have previously warned that the monitoring mission could be pulled out unless stalled peace talks show concrete progress.
The Malaysians lead an international team that includes personnel from Brunei, Libya and Japan. It is responsible for safeguarding a 2003 ceasefire between the Philippine military and the MILF.
Malaysian-brokered talks between the Philippine government and the MILF hit a snag in December when rebel negotiators walked away from a meeting after disputing proposals by Manila, including the extent of territory that would fall under Muslim control.
The MILF, which the Philippine military says has 11,000 fighters, is the largest group battling for self-rule in Mindanao. (AP/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (April 22, 2008 issue)
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