Gov’t-MILF peace talks resume in Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines – The peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) resumed Thursday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This was announced by MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadsali Jaafar and Secretary Teresita Deles, the presidential adviser on the peace process.

Jaafar said the talks will focus on arriving at a “political solution” for the Bangsamoro people, but refused to further give details.

“I do not want to predict this very important issue so we will wait for the result of the meeting,” Jaafar added when asked if they are expecting any developments in this round of peace negotiations.

Deles, on the other hand, said the talks were expected to take up “crucial issues” arising from the deadly Oct. 18 clash between government and MILF forces in Al-Barka, Basilan.

The encounter resulted in the killing of 19 soldiers and triggered calls for all-out war against the Moro rebels.

Deles said the talks were scheduled to last for only one day.

“It is an informal meeting which was originally agreed upon to discuss how to move substantive negotiations forward following the submission of the GPH proposal to the MILF,” Deles said in a text message.

“In light of the crucial issues arising from the Al-Barka incident, we expect that important matters are also to be discussed,” she added.

The government peace panel and its MILF counterpart had earlier reached a deadlock after both parties rejected each other’s proposal for the contested land in Mindanao.

The resumption of the peace talks came amid ongoing “law enforcement” operations by the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines against lawless elements including some MILF commanders.

The government had earlier asked the MILF to either surrender their wanted commanders, including Dan Asnawi who was believed to be behind kidnapping incidents and the beheading of ten marines in 2007, or step aside and let the police and military do their work.

Jaafar refused to comment on the matter of Asnawi, saying “we believe we are clearly understood by the public, so I will not comment anymore regarding this issue.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also confirmed that peace negotiations were already ongoing in Malaysia.

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday, AFP spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos, quoting the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, said that informal talks with the MILF began Thursday in Kuala Lumpur. He added that these talks usually run for two days.

Meanwhile, Burgos said that they will not stop their law enforcement operations in Mindanao. He added that Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban is in Mindanao and will be visiting Western Mindanao to meet with military officials to discuss the security situation there.