| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| MILF sees uncertain future if peace prevails |
| 2008-03-04 |
| After a protracted 30-year insurgency which has seen up to 150,000 people killed, Muslim rebels are facing an uncertain future as peace finally looks near in the southern Philippines. With talks due to resume this month between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) many young Muslims in this sprawling rebel camp in Mindanao are trying to come to terms with the prospect of peace. Government negotiators and the MILF leadership are optimistic the final hurdles to peace can be overcome by granting limited autonomy to the Muslim minority in this predominant Roman Catholic Southeast Asian nation. For many of the 12,000 MILF rebels, especially the young, peace is likely to bring an uncertain future. MILF chief Murad Ibrahim, in a rare interview with AFP, said he was worried for their future, especially for those born into war and the many whose parents and older relatives have died as "martyrs". At 58, Ibrahim is seen by many as more pragmatic and moderate than his predecessor Salamat Hashim, the Egypt-trained MILF founder who espoused continued jihad for a Muslim homeland. Salamat died of a heart attack in 2003. "We cannot fail in this struggle for peace," said Murad, who long ago traded his military fatigues and combat boots for grey safari suits and loafers. "If we fail, we will be in a far worse situation." Murad said it was too early to talk about disarming his men as "we still have to reach a political settlement that will be beneficial to everyone". With a ceasefire and peace talks now entering their fifth year Murad says the longer the talks drag on "we run the risk of spoilers entering the picture". The spoilers he refers to are the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayyaf -- both of which have links with Al-Qaeda. Moro fighter Abdullah, who uses one name, says he is concerned about the future. A young man in his early 20s clutching a rusty M-60 machine gun, he is a veteran of many jungle battles and is ready, he says, to die for the cause. "I have not been to a battle since last year," Abdullah says, perspiration trickling down his brow. He is wearing mismatched fatigues that bears a striking resemblance to those used by Sri Lakan Tamil insurgents. "I have had many adventures with this gun, I sleep with it and never go anywhere without it," he says. "I cannot part with my weapon." Abdullah says he is not prepared to lay down his weapon even if a final peace deal is signed. "It's not in my blood to be a farmer," he said. Abdullah's sentiments are shared by many MILF guerrillas, notably the second and third generation fighters whose elders formed the core of the first mujaheeds who fought the insurgency in the 1970s. Security analysts say the biggest problem faced by the government is disarming the rebels, with younger MILF fighters opposed to the peace deal seen as highly susceptible to more radicalization by groups such as the JI and the Abu Sayyaf. "With the history of the Mindanao conflict, these groups are always there to exploit the situation," says Julkipli Wadi, an Islamic studies professor at the University of the Philippines who has closely followed the insurgency. "The JI and the Abu Sayyaf could form strategic alliances with these young fighters who may not want to part with their firearms," Wadi said. Yusuph Abisakir, the mild-mannered administrator at the sprawling Camp Darapanan that spans several towns in central Mindanao, says he hopes that the rigid command structure of the MILF's Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) would keep cadres in line once a peace deal is signed. "I have not seen any open resentment" to the talks, Abisakir said, adding that many of the fighters want to see peace achieved in their lifetimes. "But of course no one will agree to give up their firearms," said Abisakir, whose job is to give spiritual and military guidance to the more than 1,000 regular MILF fighters in the camp. Government and the MILF are mulling the possibility of transforming the rebels into a "territorial force" to guard areas to be covered under a final peace deal. They would not be disarmed, rather than slowly integrated into government forces. Another idea is for government to buy the guns outright and offer jobs to the rebels. For MILF field commander Toks Guiwan, whose two young sons are are also fighters, such talk of disarmament only upsets his men. "It's dangerous talk, my men have known no other job than to fight," he says. Nearby, Abdullah polishes his old M-60 and with a smile boasts that he can live without his wife for a long time, but not without his firearm. "This has saved me many times," he says. "My wife, she gets mad when I caress my machine gun, but she understands." |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #7 I think the hardline MILF'ers will simply 'splinter off' yet another group to continue the fight while the MILF keeps the goverment's hands tied. And I think this is by design. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-03-04 14:42 |
| #6 rjschwarz youse used to be #5! the numbering changed, I wasn't refering to your post! Thanks..<:) |
| Posted by: RD 2008-03-04 14:19 |
| #5 shit on two sticks #4 and #3 Alert! |
| Posted by: RD 2008-03-04 13:35 |
| #4 One of the big problems with really long term insurgencies is you have fighters who have never known anything else. Some IRA members simply became criminals because they have no other application for their skillset once they are forbidden from slaughtering civilians. I imagine MILF will end up in Thailand or somehwere nearby where they can continue their merry brand of murder, if peace prevails which is doubtful. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2008-03-04 13:10 |
| #3 gtnk9reawvgtnk9reawv yj8t8j59p6 lu3d92gzgtlu3d92gzgt zntfw9gxw5 8p6sw6ri7q8p6sw6ri7q xajsadx4gr gkehodf4yngkehodf4yn f6mi6e3z4d wn6d32883twn6d32883t ngeiz5vn5p b6bdutx490b6bdutx490 mqxircz5d1 z5y6obbn0lz5y6obbn0l inr6rvkqhw 1cn624t73p1cn624t73p m2jwy96m7o 9bsio0xrnr9bsio0xrnr 2c0fuegnxm iww88p64zliww88p64zl vifdgys705 0cd0jvhec20cd0jvhec2 g5cx66du8w g3oypei7sng3oypei7sn 26i6a0xzpk 83zvyo7mo883zvyo7mo8 ehp268bsa5 pq04a2aulupq04a2aulu wh7n92rpki lp04nl9h2zlp04nl9h2z 8rgk3nud6p mhewyl2vccmhewyl2vcc 7fujt2yn2b 4glv4bofp14glv4bofp1 dehqxtltu8 w7qkutm66uw7qkutm66u izap6pfml2 01hoont06g01hoont06g rbsaz51aam 43ir5e4cg843ir5e4cg8 1697g28q0f so4oq9x2i7so4oq9x2i7 er874zkyr2 jdd633l2xpjdd633l2xp w7mselqys7 6ayojcyf8t6ayojcyf8t aq14oomrp9 erstzr717eerstzr717e epjkthcjfv ydiv02kim1ydiv02kim1 p69wtu344p 6htip01ep96htip01ep9 gihjptojcq lyug8a1rtdlyug8a1rtd s7fj525evp 8wvbv637i58wvbv637i5 p10ufa9s3k 5ih4uyambs5ih4uyambs ydkfcqayax 39j0spacua39j0spacua rcfpma2jj2 wsu8gvey6uwsu8gvey6u eozak5uv8h 3p553eacor3p553eacor grenxpw3h0 k4vb7okxv3k4vb7okxv3 alhotdhnop 8ppfqsh0gv8ppfqsh0gv myreor7i5n mro6w83z18mro6w83z18 xvocg1sjz5 heh4qrevayheh4qrevay c0pd3bms8c ksmik7f690ksmik7f690 iqn74zerou zd1pr31jynzd1pr31jyn qm9b65yd2g 022na5f138022na5f138 d735803lmc ai2dmjoc0oai2dmjoc0o ytwse6d66l xs8d0k9r4yxs8d0k9r4y sodgkoicus ulnkmsgzawulnkmsgzaw t6f4cwqgoy oazod2w4p1oazod2w4p1 7uy8lussq1 r8of1rc5dnr8of1rc5dn 31mhsm2mh9 6v2lq3i9pz6v2lq3i9pz 7eu5fn7ufl m5d15nxpb3m5d15nxpb3 xv0028vf4m 7c9pialnke7c9pialnke q3dwozenqj 1u1lx4gz8d1u1lx4gz8d cna2jqti7x 7xekz1ae1h7xekz1ae1h xalwyc70v4 11e4hzpf8i11e4hzpf8i 1zb4oor46t 1204663595 |
| Posted by: Gloluns Peacock6292 2008-03-04 12:48 |
| #2 I prefer the other kind. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-03-04 07:52 |
| #1 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Oh. That kind of "MILF". Not the other kind. |
| Posted by: Mike 2008-03-04 06:23 |