Thursday, April 24, 2008
Malaysia to start pulling out peacekeepers next month (4:45 p.m.)
KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia will start pulling out its ceasefire monitors from the southern Philippines next month, the government said Thursday, signaling impatience at stalled peace talks between Manila and Muslim separatist rebels.
The other main contributor to the Malaysia-led peacekeeping team in the southern Philippines, Brunei, has reportedly said it will withdraw its monitors if Malaysia does. There was no immediate comment from Brunei on Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said Malaysia will start a "phased withdrawal" of its personnel from the violence-scarred Philippine island of Mindanao next month.
Malaysia contributes the majority of about 60 troops, police and other officers safeguarding a 2003 cease-fire between the Philippine military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"We need to show that we cannot and we should not be there as part of the international monitoring team indefinitely," Najib told reporters. "There has to be some degree of finality in terms of our presence there."
Najib urged Manila and the MILF to step up efforts to reach a permanent peace deal, adding that Malaysia's military chief will visit the Philippines by the end of this month to formally convey Malaysia's decision.
An initial batch of 21 Malaysian troops will leave the southern Philippines on May 10, leaving about 30 personnel to remain for some time, Najib said.
He did not say when the pullout would be completed, but Foreign Minister Rais Yatim recently said Malaysia does not plan to send any more personnel after the mandate of the current team expires in September. (AP) |
