KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Peace talks on ending a three-decade-old Muslim separatist insurgency in southern Philippines opened on Monday in Malaysia, with the two sides saying they are hopeful of progress despite the tough agenda.
The three-day talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are being held at a secret location, believed to be a town south of Kuala Lumpur. Neither Filipino officials nor Malaysian hosts have disclosed details.
This week’s talks deal with ancestral domain, which refers to the cultural rights and property of ethnic Muslim tribes and management of natural resources - some of the thorniest issues to be addressed by the two sides.
“This is the first of many meetings on the question of ancestral domain. These talks are still exploratory in nature,” said a joint written statement by MILF chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal and government representative Silvestere Afable.
“We are exploring each others’ positions. This is a very tough agenda but we are very hopeful of progress,” said the statement, released through the Malaysian hosts.
The MILF, which has been fighting for a separate Muslim homeland in the mostly Roman Catholic Philippines for about 30 years, signed a July 2003 cease-fire ahead of Malaysia-brokered peace talks.
The 20-month-old truce has largely held despite isolated clashes, and the two sides have held informal talks in the past, culminating in the first formal talks that began Monday.
The MILF, which the Philippine military says has about 11,500 guerrillas with about 8,700 firearms, has been dogged by accusations that it is sheltering operatives of the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.
The rebels, however, have condemned terrorism, denied any links to the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, and offered one of their camps for inspection by the military. The group has also pledged to help the government hunt down foreign extremists.
Malaysia has a huge stake in a peaceful settlement of the rebellion in the southern Philippines because tens of thousands of Filipinos have been fleeing into Malaysia for years to escape the fighting.
Thanks Oorgang.
I've been reading articles that this discussion was going to happen -- we'll see what the outcome will be.
18 April 2005
Afghan militants blow up tankers
KANDAHAR: Taliban rebels set off a bomb next to a fuel tanker parked outside the main US military base in southern Afghanistan early yesterday, setting off a chain of large explosions that destroyed five tankers and injured three drivers, officials said.
The attack took place just after 3am, while Pakistani and Afghan drivers waiting to deliver fuel to the US base at Kandahar airport were sleeping, said Gen Muslim Ahmed, the local Afghan military commander. No American soldiers were injured.
One of the injured drivers, Sher Alam, said he was woken by the initial blast and ran for his life.
"I was sleeping at the time and suddenly I heard an explosion. When I woke up there was a huge fire engulfing the fuel tanker near mine. We all ran away and there were more explosions," said Alam, whose feet and hands were injured by flying debris.
Ahmed said American troops arrived shortly after the blasts to put out the fire. No arrests were made.
Yesterday morning black smoke still billowed from the charred hulls of the tankers.
Taliban attacks have picked up following a winter lull after the guerillas failed in their vow to disrupt October elections.
The attack on the oil tankers came a day after the Taliban triggered a remote-control explosive device that injured nine Afghan government soldiers in a passing car in Zabul province, district chief Wazir Mohammad said.
Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi confirmed the rebels were behind both attacks.
The Taliban, who US-led forces toppled in late 2001 for harbouring Al Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden, have warned local residents against helping or working for US-led forces.
On Saturday, the top US general in the country predicted they might try to pull off a "high-visibility attack" in an effort to reverse their waning fortunes.
But Lt Gen. David Barno added that the future was against them, and predicted the insurgency would be nearly completely destroyed within 12 months.
In other violence, six Afghan soldiers were injured yesterday when a landmine went off as they travelled in central Zabul province, said local official Haji Wazir Mohammed.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=109724&Sn=WORL&IssueID=28029