Arroyo hails ceasefire deal with rebel group

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, AUG 8. The Philippine President, Ms. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, has hailed a ceasefire agreement reached with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the principal rebel group in the country's southern island of Mindanao.

Ms. Arroyo, who is on her first-ever foreign visit since becoming President in January, was in Kuala Lumpur when the ceasefire agreement was signed on Tuesday between Government and MILF representatives. It appeared evident that Malaysia had facilitated the ceasefire talks, with the country's Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, in attendance when the accord was signed yesterday.

With this truce agreement, only the Abu Sayyaf, which specialises in kidnapping for ransom, remains outside the fold of dialogue. The ceasefire agreement with the MILF (the Moro National Liberation Front is already on board) will now set the tone for substantive talks with the Philippine Government on core demands raised by the Islam-based fighters. ``This new Government is committed in settling the issue of security. It is committed to lasting peace in Mindanao and to bring Mindanao to the mainstream of development,'' Ms. Arroyo said at a business meeting in Kuala Lumpur today.

``Peace negotiations for a final settlement are ongoing,'' she maintained. Calling upon Malaysian businessmen to invest in Mindanao, the President said: ``Mindanao is an island hungry for development, an island with an enormous desire to move forward. We will make Mindanao a gateway to Southeast Asia through the East Asian growth area.''

``We hope that together we can tap the many opportunities in Mindanao, provide jobs and increase economic wealth there...I will provide stronger attention to Mindanao,'' Ms. Arroyo said, promising to visit this troubled island every week. Addressing a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Ms. Arroyo was effusive in her praise for the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr. Mahathir Mohammad.

``We will always remember the Prime Minister, Mr. Mahathir as a broker of peace, as a brother who helped close many fissures between Christians and Muslims,'' Ms. Arroyo, who heads a predominantly Christian nation, said. The ceasefire accord between the Government and the MILF was preceded by several days of negotiation in Malaysia, which itself was based on a foundation reached through discussions held between the parties in Libya in June.

The present initiative taken by the Arroyo Government is the first real political move to tackle the problems in Mindanao and also isolate the Abu Sayyaf politically since the new administration came to power. It is clear that Ms. Arroyo, who has vowed to ``crush'' the Abu Sayyaf, cannot do so without addressing the political issues raised by groups like the MILF and the MNLF, who have agreed to coordinate approaches in their dialogue with the Government. A military solution by itself is unlikely to work in Mindanao. The current initiative will definitely strengthen the hands of the Arroyo Government in tackling the issues politically.

It may be recalled that a similar ceasefire existed between 1997 and 2000, but was called off by the Joseph Estrada Government claiming that the MILF was busy strengthening itself. A new offensive was then launched against the MILF, when the Estrada Government itself was under pressure from the Abu Sayyaf. ``As far as the security aspect is concerned, we are satisfied...we hope this agreement will work,'' Mr. Murad Ebrahim, the MILF leader who headed the delegation to Kuala Lumpur, was quoted as saying.

``It now depends on the sincerity of the Philippine Government whether they can fulfill this agreement...Past experience has shown that it has always been a problem for them to do so. This will be a test,'' he said. According to Mr. Ebrahim, a co- ordination committee to administer the ceasefire had been agreed upon by the two sides and would comprise representatives from Libya, Indonesia and Malaysia as members of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). The chief Government negotiator, Mr. Jesus Dureza, was optimistic that the ceasefire would lead to progress in substantive negotiations. ``We hope this can provide a conducive atmosphere to carry out the next stage of negotiations to help realise the Arroyo administration's goal of rehabilitating the economy and improving the lives of the people in Mindanao,'' Mr. Dureza stated.

There was, however, a word of warning from the Philippines military chief, Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, to the MILF - that they should not violate the truce arrangement. ``We hope to see to it that our soldiers are safe and not disadvantaged in the fighting,'' the General was quoted as saying in Zamboanga, Philippines.

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Section  : International
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