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| Southeast Asia |
| MNLF seeks amnesty for Misuari |
| 2015-09-12 |
| [ABS-CBN] The chairman of the Islamic Command Council of the Moro National Liberation Front has appealed to the Philippine president to grant MNLF founder Nur Misuari amnesty for his involvement in the 2013 Zamboanga siege. Islamic Command Council chairman Habib Hudjahab Hashim said there were precedents in granting amnesty to a person accused of rebellion. According to Hashim, Misuari was simply fighting for his political ideology, and to implement the 1996 peace agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government, which he believed was abrogated when the government signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Hashim added that an amnesty is also needed in order for Misuari to be able to attend the ongoing tripartite meeting with the Organization of Islamic Conference and Government Peace Panel, which has been discussing three contentious issues of the accord. He said these issues will be further discussed in the dialogue which will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in November. Misuari has been facing rebellion charges and a violation of international humanitarian law after hundreds of his armed followers attacked villages in Zamboanga City, displacing thousands of families. Since then, Misuari has been reportedly hiding in the MNLF camps in Sulu province. Hashim said two years after the Zamboanga siege, Misuari has no plans to surrender. Neither are there feelers to negotiate for his surrender. He said Misuari remains firm in his position for declaring independence, and claiming the majority of Mindanao as part of their territory. Hashim said they are also pushing for the creation of another autonomous government intended solely for MNLF, citing the 1976 Tripoli Agreement as the basis. |
| Posted by:ryuge |