MANILA, 3 June 2003 — The largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines began a unilateral 10-day cease-fire yesterday under persistent army harassment and confronted by a government that doubts the peace offer is genuine.
Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have tried many times to end more than three decades of violence that has killed at least 120,000 people in the overwhelmingly Christian country and put a big dent in investor confidence.
The military, which said earlier it killed 19 rebels on the southern island of Mindanao on Saturday and took over a camp from retreating guerrillas, reported shooting two MILF fighters while pursuing a 70-strong group yesterday morning.
“The armed forces will not fire upon MILF groups that raise the white flag, come out in the open and peaceably return to the fold,” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in a statement. “But groups that remain underground will be interdicted if identified and pinpointed, because these remain a threat to the safety of civilian communities.”
The cease-fire took effect at midnight (1600 GMT), just hours before Arroyo left for South Korea and Japan on a five-day tour to drum up investment and calm the fears of foreign business about the security situation in her country.
Eid Kabalu, the MILF’s spokesman, said the group’s estimated 12,000 fighters would silence their guns until midnight (1600 GMT) on June 12.
“I hope our sacrifice will produce a better result. The government should think of reciprocating this goodwill,” Kabalu told Reuters by telephone.
The government, which called off peace talks being brokered by Malaysia after a series of deadly attacks on Mindanao, initially welcomed the declaration of the MILF ceasefire.
But days later Arroyo, who returned recently from a warm welcome in Washington, called the offer a ploy to ease military pressure and whip up sympathy among Islamic countries.
Mindanao is agriculturally rich but suffers from centuries of neglect and hostility by Spanish, American and Filipino rulers. Poverty and lack of development have pushed some Muslims into the ranks of the MILF and other separatist groups.
Arroyo and her military planners are clearly emboldened by Washington’s moral and financial backing against the rebels.
But analysts say the MILF is retreating to the shelter of the cease-fire more because of the loss of several bases and costly battles since the army stepped up its offensive in February.
