ZAMBOANGA CITY, 2 June 2006 — The Philippines’ largest Muslim separatist group said yesterday it doubted whether a peace deal with Manila could be signed this year, but said it is jointly undertaking preparations with the government for the eventual development of a Muslim homeland.
The government had hoped to strike a deal for a homeland for more than 3 million Muslims on the southern region of Mindanao by mid-September but talks have dragged over how much territory to sign over and how to split the region’s rich resources.
“The September timeline for signing a peace deal with the Philippine government is not a very promising proposition,” said Jun Mantawil, head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) peace panel secretariat.
“Our movement forward is very modest. The situation of the talks get tougher and tougher as we proceed toward the final stretch.” Since 1997, the MILF, the biggest of four Muslim rebel groups, has been negotiating with Manila to end 40 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and stunted development.
An undeveloped gold-copper field, estimated by Australian firm Indophil to be Southeast Asia’s largest with potential yearly export earnings of $700 million, is located in an area claimed by Muslims and a local tribe on Mindanao.
In February, the government’s chief negotiator, Silvestre Afable, said the two sides might be able to strike a deal before the start of the holy month of Ramadan in mid-September after a breakthrough in talks on ancestral domain.
In meetings in Malaysia this week, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told reporters Manila was expecting to sign a final peace deal with the MILF even before Ramadan as the two sides wrap up talks on ancestral domain.
But, the MILF said it did not want to raise false expectations the two sides could meet the September deadline.
Last week, a member of the Philippine government’s peace panel also told Reuters there could be delays in inking a deal.
“We may overshoot our initial target due to the nature of the issues at hand,” said the senior official, who declined to be named because of his involvement in the talks.
Getting Ready
Even then, MILF leaders said they are cooperating with the government in preparing to jointly develop the region, once a peace agreement is signed.
Japan is funding a seven-month peace and development training program for dozens of workers of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), an agency put up by both sides in 2002 to oversee the rehabilitation, humanitarian and development projects in the conflict-affected areas.
Jesus Dureza, President Arroyo’s peace adviser, and Shozo Matsuura, resident representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), signed the agreement for the training program which will begin this month. The training program will focus on the enhancement of the workers’ skills and attitude toward community development, peace building and resolving conflicts, as well as management training.
Rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said the MILF would strengthen the agricultural industry and work closely with tourism operators in an effort to attract more local and foreign visitors, and boost trade activities by promoting the mineral-rich region as a business hub or gateway to Southeast Asia. “We have a comprehensive program to help the government rehabilitate and develop the region. We will prioritize the agricultural industry because Mindanao is the country’s food basket, and then promote tourism and trade aggressively...,” he said. to attract not only visitors, but foreign and local investors as well,” Kabalu said.
Kabalu said the BDA would oversee all the development projects in Mindanao.
Many countries as well as the European Union have pledged to help in the development of the region once the peace agreement is signed, Kabalu said. (With a report from Reuters)
