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| Southeast Asia |
| US offers $30m to Philippine jihadis for peace pact |
| 2006-11-10 |
| The United States is prepared to offer $30 million in aid to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after it signs a peace agreement with the Philippine government, an official said yesterday. US Ambassador Kristie Kenney made the statement after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered an immediate resumption of peace talks with the group, which has been fighting for independence since 1981. “We are absolutely ready to step in again with a strong economic assistance if there is an accord,” Kenney told reporters in a chance interview in Malacañang. “We really want to help the ex-combatants of the MILF, so we are hoping the peace deal is signed.” The US government first offered the $30 million to the group three years ago, but it diverted the money to other projects after the group’s signing of a peace accord with the government was delayed. Mrs. Arroyo ordered the talks with the MILF resumed after the government dropped its charges against group chairman Ebrahim Murad, who is accused of planning a series of deadly bombings in Mindanao last month. Six people died and 33 others were injured in explosions in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat and Makilala in North Cotabato in October. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the dropping of the case against Murad on Wednesday was a sign of the government’s goodwill. “Secretary [Silvestre] Afable, our chief negotiator, has already cleared it with the President that the resumption of the exploratory talks will begin as soon as possible,” he said. Government negotiators failed to sign peace with the MILF two months ago, when the two sides disagreed on the villages to be included in the so-called Bangsamoro territory. But MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said by telephone that they were willing to take up the government’s counter-proposal that only 613 villages be included in the Bangsamoro territory under the ancestral domain agreement. “This is really a hot issue for both parties. The Kuala Lumpur talks failed to come up with a formula acceptable to both sides,” Kabalu said. “But we are willing to consider the proposal of the government. That is the beauty of negotiations. There will always be bargaining involved.” The MILF had earlier proposed to include more than 1,000 villages in its territory, a number that government negotiators found too high. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #2 they'll be able to really rearm themselves well with 30 million. |
| Posted by: bk 2006-11-10 12:33 |
| #1 Unbelievable. State hasn't learn a damned thing in 60 years. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-11-10 09:34 |