MARAWI CITY, 13 February 2004 — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday accused government troops of engaging in “highly provocative” acts that could sabotage ongoing peace talks with the government.
Commander Yahya Lukesadatu, deputy chief of staff MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), cited the arrival of marine soldiers in full battle gear in the towns of Butig and Binidayan in Lanao del Sur province yesterday morning.
Lukesadatu said the troop movements were made without prior notice to MILF commanders as required under a cease-fire agreement signed between Manila and the MILF in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 7, 2001.
He said the “massing of troops” was a clear effort to derail talks to find a political solution to the Mindanao conflict.
separatist movement in the southern Philippines.
Both parties have agreed to hold a new round of exploratory talks anytime this month in Kuala Lumpur.
The upcoming talks is expected to focus on to the approval of the Terms of Reference (TOR) necessary for the deployment of Malaysian-led 3rd party monitoring team that would observe the implementation on the ground of the cease-fire agreement.
“Apparently, the military is not happy about this development which would mean that they could no longer hide all the atrocities and other illegal acts they have been committing in violation of the existing cease-fire agreement,” MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said.
There was no immediate comment from the military.
