ASIA/PHILIPPINES - “Peace process in Southern Philippines must be resumed: dialogue leads rebels away from radical Islamic groups”: missionary’s analysis to Fides

Thursday, 16 December 2004

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Manila (Fides Service) - “The peace process in Southern Philippines needs a boost. No one knows why the government and rebels of the Moro National Liberation Front do not resume negotiations” Father Eliseo Mercato OMI, head of OMI Justice and Peace office and teacher at Notre Dame Unviersity in Cotabato, Mindanao, told Fides
Father Mercado described the situation: “There are some obstacles. Some in the Manila government, including former defence minister, today interior minister Angelo Reyes, are against negotiations for a number of reasons: MILF is said to be connected with Jemmah Islamiya (JI) terrorist network; the conviction that MILF, split internally, is unable to control all its factions and so peace would never be total. What is more people in the south do not agree with the government on the necessity of a peace agreement. In the meantime guerrillas continue their ambiguous strategy offering a hand to peace while indulging in violence”.
Efforts to resume negotiations, Father Mercado continues “are necessary to pull the MILF away from the influence of JI radicals. To prolong the situation of stalemate or take a harder position would instead push the MILF into the arms of the extremists”.
The path of extremism is aired also because of a bomb explosion at market in General Santos, a town in central Mindanao on December 12 in which 14 people died and more than 60 were injured. Police have not said a terrorist group was responsible. The MILF has denied responsibility. The mayor Pedro Acharon of General Santos said it was more like a conflict between rival groups of shopkeepers for control of the market. In April this year 15 people were killed in a bomb explosion at a shopping centre in General Santos for which the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group claimed responsibility.
Father Mercado does not think the episode will be a stumbling block for the resuming of dialogue: “It is necessary to regain popular support for the peace process. The economic gap and hostility between Christians and Muslims is deepening. In this sense because of the credibility they enjoy, Christian and Muslim religious leaders have a determinant role to give full support to the peace”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 16/12/2004 righe 36 parole 378)