Abu Sayyaf rebels 'funnels arms' to RI separatists<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Abu Sayyaf rebels are funneling arms to
\nIndonesian separatists while kidnapping foreigners for ransom in
\nthe southern Philippines, a top Filipino official said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Retired general Eduardo Ermita, a security adviser to
\nPresident Gloria Arroyo, named the rebels for the first time in
\nconnection with arms shipments to guerrillas in the Indonesian
\nprovinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
Speaking after a state visit here last week by Indonesian
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, Ermita said Indonesia had
\ntalked of \"firearms moving in from the border of the Philippines
\ninto the border with Indonesia\".<\/p>\n
\"It did not say specifically these are Abu Sayyaf\" shipments,
\nhe told reporters.<\/p>\n
But smuggled firearms are \"somehow supplying the rebel forces
\nin Aceh, and even Irian Jaya\", and Philippine authorities had
\nconcluded \"that in all probability it's the Abu Sayyaf\", Ermita
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Manila is also investigating pilferage at military armories,
\nErmita said, adding it was \"possible\" U.S.-made rifles in Abu
\nSayyaf hands were either stolen from the military or sold to them
\nby rogue soldiers.<\/p>\n
Southeast Asian countries are worried about the rise of
\nreligious and other separatist guerrilla movements from Mindanao
\nin the Philippines and in the two Indonesian provinces.<\/p>\n
The Abu Sayyaf, a small group of well-armed Islamic
\nseparatists, hold a U.S. Christian missionary couple and 16
\nFilipino hostages in the southern Philippine island of Basilan.
\nFilipino and Indonesian authorities did not discuss the volume or
\nmanner of shipments, Ermita said.<\/p>\n
\"But you can assume that these are high-powered firearms,\" he
\nsaid. \"You don't launch or continue the revolution using
\nhandguns.\"<\/p>\n
Megawati's concern was the reason Arroyo \"highlighted the need
\nto strengthen our border patrol agreements\" with Indonesia as
\nwell as with Malaysia, Ermita said.<\/p>\n
Abu Sayyaf rebels raided two Malaysian tourist island resorts
\noff Borneo island last year and abducted western hostages, most
\nof whom were reportedly released after ransoms were paid.<\/p>\n
Filipino officials said the rebels used the money to acquire
\nmore guns and faster vessels, which they put to use when they
\nraided the Dos Palmas resort in the western Philippines on May 27
\nto snatch some of their current batch of hostages.<\/p>\n
Ermita said the Abu Sayyaf went into kidnappings to generate
\nfunds which they used to purchase arms \"from whatever source, and
\nthen maybe when they have enough, maybe they sell some of them to
\ngenerate a profit and buy another (batch). It's a vicious cycle\".<\/p>\n
Asked how the Abu Sayyaf transact gun shipments with
\nIndonesian rebels, Ermita said \"we have no knowledge as to
\nwhether they do this through intermediaries\" or whether these
\nwere \"transactions among revolutionary forces\".<\/p>\n
Arroyo has sent 5,000 troops to Basilan to crush the Abu
\nSayyaf, but the rebels have continually eluded their pursuers.<\/p>\n
Her government is holding peace talks with another Moro
\nseparatist group, the 12,500-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front
\n(MILF), which is observing a cease-fire.<\/p>\n
Manila hopes to sign a political settlement to end the 23-year
\nMILF rebellion by the end of the year, but Ermita admitted the
\ndisposal of rebel firearms could be a headache.<\/p>\n
\"Chances are, they might just dispose of some of their
\nfirearms\" in the black market, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo will meet with
\nChina's ambassador here later this week to assure Beijing her
\ngovernment was doing its best to secure a Chinese national held
\ncaptive by Moro gunmen, her spokesman said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"The president has scheduled a meeting anytime this week ...
\nwith the Chinese ambassador to explain personally what the
\nadministration has been doing and to assure the Chinese that this
\nadministration is very concerned about the kidnapping incident,\"
\npresidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/abu-sayyaf-rebels-funnels-arms-to-ri-separatists-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}