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| Southeast Asia |
| Southern Philippines Muslim fighters to resume peace talks with Manila |
| 2003-01-09 |
| BINA Ranking members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), together with some members of the MILF negotiating panel and MILF technical committees, met yesterday in an undisclosed location in Maguindanao to discuss and prepare the final draft of the document that will be submitted to the government in Manila when peace talks resume this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Negotiating with these Soddy proxies is a big mistake for the Philippine government — but they've started on that course... The draft proposal will be submitted to the MILF Central Committee for deliberation in a plenary session, which will be convened soon. It is expected that the MILF will finally adopt its official position especially on the issue of ancestral domain aspect of the Tripoli Agreement in time for the resumption the peace talks. "Ancestral domain" means they want to have their own little Dar ul-Islam, and infidels can stay out. Any that are there now can become proper Muslims and maybe they won't be killed... The Bangsamoro Islamic News Agency (BINA) reported that present during the meeting were Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF deputy chair for military affairs and concurrently MILF chief negotiator, deputy chair for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar, MILF chief information officer Mohagher Iqbal, and other members of the MILF Central Committee, who requested anonymity. They expect to have high positions under the khalifa, but until they have one, they don't want to stick their necks out... In a related development, a reliable source close to the government in Manila told BINA that the Arroyo dispensation is considering the postponement again of the peace talks slated this month fearing that an impasse of the talks with MILF is inevitable. Good move. Two weeks after Doomsday seems like a good date to shoot for to start them up again... He disclosed that the main reason given was the nature of the government proposal, which is still "autonomy" — an idea rejected by the MILF. They have to have their independence, otherwise they can't be part of the Greater Southeast Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 The fact that these guys are negotiating with the government means they no longer have the ability to take what they want, militarily. They are hurt badly and need time to regroup. |
| Posted by: Ben 2003-01-10 05:06:57 |