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News Asia-Pacific
Philippine separatists in UN appeal

About 100 people have been killed and half a million displace since fighting flared again in August [EPA]

Muslim separatists in the southern Philippines have said they will take their case to the UN and Islamic nations, after the country's Supreme Court threw out a proposed deal granting them greater autonomy.

The court on Tuesday declared unconstitutional the draft accord to grant minority Muslims expanded self-rule in their southern homeland in a bid to end decades of separatist fighting.

Violence in the southern Mindanao region flared up in August, leaving nearly 100 dead and half a million displaced, after Roman Catholic politicians protested against the government's planned signing of the accord.

Some Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters went on a bloody rampage and the government then abandoned the deal, suspended peace talks and launched an offensive to capture three rebel commanders blamed for the attacks.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator for the MILF, said the only option left for the separatists was to take the accord to the United Nations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to seek their guarantees that if talks resume their outcome will be respected.

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Conflict in Mindanao

"We will bring it to a forum where the voices of the Moros will be heard," he said.

He criticised the government of Gloria Arroyo, the president, for backing out of the deal after 11 years of negotiations, and warned that militants among the separatists opposed to the peace process may stage fresh attacks.

"After long years, we came to a point that seemed to bolster what the anti-negotiation groups are saying: that the government could not be trusted," Mohagher Iqbal said.

The MILF has been battling for self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's volatile south for decades.

Despite the latest setback, both sides said they will respect a 2003 ceasefire, which has been monitored by a handful of international observers.
 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 16
 
michael
United States 		15/10/2008
UN Appeal
It is but fair that the Bangsamoro people be given their right to self-determination. The referral of the Moro problem in the International arena is a welcome and a wise move considering that the Philippine government blatantly abandoned the peace process after 11 years of hard work negotiation. I personally see the pattern of insincerity of the Philippine government in their negotiation with the MILF. They are obviously in bad faith here.

marc
United Kingdom 		15/10/2008
Phil. peace process
It is high time for the International community to intervene on the Mindanao peace process considering that the Philippine Government again shows its insincerity and badfaith by abandoning its commitment on the autonomy deal with the Bangsamoro. If there will be a renegotiation the International community should be the guarantor that both sides will abide to their commitments especially the Phil. government which already lost its credibility.

Stratford
United Kingdom 		15/10/2008
Philippine separatist in UN appeal
We thank the MILF for trying to solve the problem in Mindanao peacefully. This armed groups were very patient, they still hold-on to finding solution in Mindanao Peacefully despite the attacks made to them by the Military and maltreatment of Peace Negotiation. Continue your fight for SELF-DETERMINATION, we are on your side and we support you. Don't let the Philippine Government stop you, you should separate. This country is known to be a corrupt nation,you must be not part of it.

LITO
Ethiopia 		16/10/2008
Philippine separatist in UN appeal
The government of the Philippines should not be alone blamed for the collapse of the peace accord. Philippines do have its laws and constitution which needs to be considered. You cannot simply just go around it just to satisfy other's demands. Both the government and the MILF should both show sincerity in future negotiations in order for it to succeed. We needs to show fairness not only to our muslim brothers but to our christian brothers also. There are christians in Mindanao too.

Oninz
Philippines 		16/10/2008
Philippine separatist in Un appeal
The Philippines is a beautiful and peaceful country. The Philippine constitution is fair enough to its people despite of religion differences. Only Muslim militants are making trouble in Southen Philippines, NO OTHER.

Robert
Philippines 		15/10/2008
Phil. peace process
Phil. is a democratic country and we have our own Supreme Court who sees to it that any under takings are w/in the bounds of our Constitutions.I think we should all respect wether we like it or not, as Spoken the MILF will question the Desicion somewhere so be it.PEACE!!!!

Sam
Ghana 		15/10/2008
Philippine separatists in UN appeal
Fair deal for muslims in Philippine. But what about Christians and Hindus in Malaysia and Indonasia shouldn't they be given autonomy too? We have to be fair to ensure peace in this world.

nicole
Jordan 		15/10/2008
phil. peace process
I think the situation in Mindanao is just the residual out come from the past President who govern the nation and worsen by the Aroyo administration who shows their insincerity-abandoning their commitment to the MILF. It's just a wast of time if they won't stand on their decesion. For more than a decade already but the negotiation haven't over yet.

Neville
United Kingdom 		15/10/2008
Philippine separatists in UN appeal
I think that is the best thing the Bangsamoro or the MILF should do to solve the problem peacefully. The government of the Philippines deny the peaceful negotiation thru its Executive, Legislative and lately the Judiciary branch. So, there's no way that the problem could be solved peacefully within the Philippines, they have to refer it to higher authorities, the United Nations. I think Philippine Government is planning to wage a war on this people & want to solve it thru war. VERY BAD IDEA!

rina28
Philippines 		16/10/2008
UN appeal
I am sorry Robert but I beg to disagree with you that our country is a democratic country..This country only favors wealthy and influential people. The Philippine government do not care about the welfare of its people. What is important for them is their greed for money and power. For me, it is just proper for our Muslim brothers to disassociate with this kind of government. This country will lead to disaster. By the way, our Courts are also corrupt. There are lots of controversies there.

Ching
Taiwan 		16/10/2008
UN appeal
I think Sam you have to research more especially on the plight of the Bangsamoro people in the Philippines. You can never equate the injustices committed to this people to that of in Malaysia and Indonesia, if there are any. This people were really been oppressed by the Philippine government for a long time. It is high time that we in the International community should help them.

Mike
Malaysia 		17/10/2008
Philippine separatist in UN appeal
what the this bangsamoro wants is a land exclusively for Muslims in mindanao, do this Muslim separatist ever think of the welfare of the thousands or millions of christian who who already occupying these lands and will be displaced if this deal was pushed through, and most of all do they have the right to kill civilians just to get what they want.?and how can they negotiate with a government that even them cannot control their own people.

WTF
Canada 		17/10/2008
It takes two to dance
Maybe part of the problem is that the main arm of the MILF is not controllong the rebel groups (or not condemning it). Plus the recent atrocities by this rogue group should not be rewarded. Only a peaceful agreement, no matter how much hard work it takes, will work.

Angelo
United Kingdom 		20/10/2008
UN appeal
A UN appeal is proper considering that the Philippine Government as a whole junk the already finished Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain with the MILF group. The UN should intervene with the plight of the bangsamoro people. They were really oppressed there. Deprived of so many things by the Filipinos.

RP
Afghanistan 		18/10/2008
go ahead, your time is coming
there is a difference between the mindsets of the collective government and the will of the collective mind. their time will come, and it will be balanced out to the degree that they have disobeyed truth.

Ramises
Philippines 		21/10/2008
UN appeal by the Bangsamoro
That's a good idea because the Philippine Gov't never become true to its commitment. At least, the International Community can assists in the search of genuine peace in Mindanao.

 
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