Sunday, May 18, 2008 Public urged to join action for peace
RESIDENTS and local government leaders were urged to be active in the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Civil societies in this city issued the call amid the snag in the negotiation and recent phased pullout of the Malaysian-led peacekeeping forces in Mindanao.
In a statement, the group composed of the Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ), Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace (IRSMP), Movement for Better Zamboanga (MBZ), the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU), and the regional office of the Commission on Human Rights, centered its concern over the volatile situation on the ground now that there is no
third party left to monitor the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro rebels.
"The presence of IMT (International Monitoring Team)...had afforded some hope of possible conciliation between the two [parties] (government and MILF). With the pull out of IMT troops, the maintenance of the ceasefire maybe impaired," the group said.
The call came two days after the military and combatants of the MILF engaged in sporadic firefight on Thursday in the island province of
Basilan.
Both parties have thrown accusations for violating the five-year ceasefire agreement.
Although no casualties have occurred, members of the civil societies have noted that the tension on the ground is increasing.
"We recognize the effort of IMT in effecting the reduction of hostilities in Mindanao," the group said.
Malaysian has agreed to lead the multinational ceasefire monitoring group years after the government and MILF signed the truce agreement, which is seen as an essential enabling condition towards crafting a peace deal.
But Malaysia recently decided not to extend the tour of duty of its peacekeeping forces in Mindanao beyond August 31 following the slow pace of the 11-year old negotiation it has been hosting in Kuala Lumpur.
Both parties failed again to break the deadlock over the issue of ancestral domain when the Philippine government insisted that the process should be within the ambit of Philippine Constitution. The MILF is against the constitutional precondition.
The withdrawal of Malaysian peace-keeping forces started last week. At least two military transport planes airlifted 28 out of the 41 Malaysian soldiers in the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cotabato and Zamboanga.
To cover the withdrawal's gap, the government has asked Libya, which is also part of the 60-member IMT, to take over the task of spearheading the ceasefire monitoring group. But the MILF said this has yet to be discussed and mutually agreed by the two parties.
Although, the local civil societies here have welcomed the intention of Libya to head the ceasefire monitoring team, the group called the support of all stakeholders in general "[in order] for them (Libya) to succeed in their goals for peace."
With the current stalemate in the peace negotiation, the group also renewed the call for the government and the MILF to resume the talks.
"We appeal to the GRP (government) and the MILF to continue with their peacekeeping actions, adhere to the primacy of peace process, respect their existing agreements and commitments towards harmony, and pursue relentlessly the peace process in order to come up with a final peace agreement," the group said.
The group has also suggested to the government to "tap independent groups in facilitating the peace talks or negotiation with the MILF."
In a press briefing, PAZ president Fr. Angel C. Calvo, CMF, said getting the support and playing an active role of the public sector in the peace process is very vital to resolve the impasse in the negotiations and to ultimately end the decades-old armed conflict in Mindanao.
"We (civil societies) don't have the formula on the peace negations...but with the support of the residents and local leaders in the peace process it will be a great help," he told reporters.
"We are the stakeholders here. We should be part of the whole process," said Hji. Abdu Rahim K. Kenoh, the former city school superintendent, and a member of the Muslim sector of the interfaith group here.
"We say that Zamboanga is free. [But] we are not free from this situation,” said Pastor Pablo G. Palis, member of the Protestant group in the IRSMP.
On the other hand, the group also expressed its dismay over how the government is handling the negotiations.
"We are very frustrated more than the Malaysians. People in Mindanao are very much frustrated, because we are the ones who are suffering, not Malacanang," said Prof. Ali T. Yacub, the lead Muslim convenor of the IRSMP, when asked to rate Manila's performance.
Earlier, ADZU president Fr. Atonio F. Moreno, SJ, has also raised the issue that the people in Mindanao in general are not well-informed about the peace negotiations.
"It is the people's right to be informed," said Atty. Jose Manuel S. Mamuag, the regional director of the Commission on Human Rights. (Press release)
