| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Muslim rebels oppose Philippine mining revival |
| 2006-05-08 |
| MANILA, May 8 (Reuters) - The Philippines' largest Muslim separatist rebel group said on Monday it was not keen on allowing mining firms in its territories and that the issue will be part of its peace negotiations with the government. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) issued the statement after it ended informal talks with the Philippine government in Malaysia on Thursday without resolving the stubborn issue of territory and jurisdiction over Muslim land on Mindanao island. "This mining issue has to be discussed bilaterally," MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told Reuters by phone. Kabalu said his group and Manila have yet to discuss when to resume peace talks aimed at ending nearly 40 years of conflict, which has killed more than 120,000 people stunted the growth of Mindanao and clouded investment prospects in the area. The MILF website -- luwaran.com -- quoted Jun Mantawil, chairperson of the MILF peace panel, as saying that the group does not welcome mining firms in its territories because they bring more trouble than good to the people. "He said mining also invites manmade catastrophes like massive displacement, mass poisoning, human rights violations including killings and militarisation," the website said. "The mining industry rapes, extracts, denudes, divests, drains and brings forth deaths and destruction to our environment and marginalised population, especially the indigenous people," Mantawil was quoted as saying. But Mantawil said MILF may agree to the operation of mining companies in its areas provided their operations were environment-friendly and their benefits go directly to the people. The communist New People's Army rebels, which the government sees as the more potent security threat, has attacked mines to demand "revolutionary war taxes" to fund its nearly four decades of insurgency. These rising threats to mining firms come at a time that the Philippine government is trying to lure between $6.5 and $8.5 billion in capital for 23 priority mining projects and 37 exploration deals to revive the sector after years of neglect. Manila has said it needed foreign investors to tap an estimated $1 trillion worth of mineral wealth. The poor Southeast Asian country is ranked among the world's top five for its deposits of copper, nickel, iron ore and is geographically closer to resource-hungry China than the region's other major mining centre Indonesia. But the Philippines' plan to revive the sector at a time of high world metal prices is being opposed by Catholic bishops and environmentalists. In March, the government bowed to pressure from the Catholic bishops to review a law allowing foreign mining firms to own up to 100 percent in local projects from the previous 40 percent. Officials have said the review of the law in Congress was aimed to strengthen the environmental provisions and ensure sustainable mining. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #3 The Catholic church is the New People's Army's biggest supporter. The MILF, the NPA and Catholic church do not want any influx of funds into that area. Once the people have money then they won't be dependant and these folks will lose power. The MILF and NPA could care less about the environment. All one has to do is look at the logging of the jungle to see the MILF & NPA raping of the land, and the springtime mudslides that kill thousands like in Leyte. What he wont say is that the mining industry wont pay bribes and revolutionary taxes. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2006-05-08 13:48 |
| #2 If you dont believe that look at West Virginia. |
| Posted by: bk 2006-05-08 11:40 |
| #1 "The mining industry rapes, extracts, denudes, divests, drains and brings forth deaths and destruction to our environment and marginalised population, especially the indigenous people," Dunno, sounds pretty muslim to me. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-05-08 09:00 |