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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines: Army not fighting 'all-out war' in south, says president |
| 2008-08-26 |
| (AKI) - The Philippines government is not conducting an "all-out war" in the southern province of Mindanao despite a military offensive against the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, President Gloria Arroyo said on Monday. Arroyo gave the assurance in a speech at a groundbreaking ceremony of the Global Gateway Logistics City in Pampanga in the central region of Luzon. "I say to the Filipinos, to the world, to our Muslim brothers in the south, to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) through our Kuwaiti friends, there is no all out war," the President said. According to the website of GMANews, Arroyo made her remarks as fresh fighting erupted in the south. Fighting between Muslim separatists and troops intensified in the southern Philippines at the weekend undermining hopes for renewed peace talks. More than 100 fighters have reportedly been killed in four days of clashes on Mindanao island, according to media reports. The government has been conducting a military offensive in several provinces in Mindanao for the past week. They are continuing to hunt for two MILF commanders -- Umbra Kato and Abdullah Macapaar alias Bravo -- who allegedly led recent attacks in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte. President Arroyo said the military action is only aimed at the MILF factions under Kato and Macapaar and not the MILF as a whole. She said the government had never lost its intention to forge a peace agreement with the secessionist group. "We have never deviated from the objective of the peace process. That peace must be anchored on justice. The rampage of some lawless MILF groups in Mindanao call for resolute military and police action," she said. According to GMANews, Arroyo also said that the targeted MILF units had historically been the rebellious forces that had started trouble before and during the peace process. On Friday the International Committee of the Red Cross said it had escorted 900 trapped civilians out of a combat zone. It is providing assistance for around 40,000 people who have been displaced from their homes and clean water for over 12,000 victims. |
| Posted by:Fred |