RP's Muslims fight for 'usurped' homeland<\/p>\n
By Girlie Linao<\/p>\n
MANILA (DPA): A marine proudly waved the Philippine flag,
\nwhile other jubilant troops gathered for a photo in front of a
\nbombed-out mosque after capturing a key camp of separatist rebels
\nin the southern Philippines.<\/p>\n
Military officials quickly apologized for the mosque's
\ndestruction and lamented the incident was an "unintended and
\nunfortunate consequence" of the continuing offensive against the
\nsecessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado ordered the reconstruction
\nof the mosque in Camp Bushra, the MILF's second-largest training
\nbase, "to prove that Muslims are not our enemies but our
\nfriends".<\/p>\n
"We are going to bind wounds," Mercado said.<\/p>\n
But analysts warned it would take more than rebuilding a
\ndestroyed mosque to heal the wounds of more than three decades of
\na violent struggle waged by mujahideens, or freedom fighters for
\nan independent Islamic homeland.<\/p>\n
They also cautioned the government against pursuing the
\nmilitary blitzkrieg in the southern region of Mindanao, warning
\nthe approach will only bring about "periods of relative peace,
\nbut things will irreversibly end up in an unending war of
\nattrition."<\/p>\n
"You can kill all the mujahideens, but you can't kill the
\ncause," one Islamic scholar said. "A new generation of fighters
\nwill always take their place and the conflict will last for
\ngenerations and generations to come until the Muslims are freed."<\/p>\n
But the Philippine government does not recognize the Muslims'
\nbelief that the national government colonized their land and
\nusurped their freedom, resulting in years of deprivation, neglect
\nand abuse, grinding poverty and rampant discrimination.<\/p>\n
Once the dominant ethnic group in Mindanao, Muslims now only
\nown 17 percent of the total land in the area due to the intrusion
\nof Christian settlers from northern and central Philippines. They
\nare also among the poorest in the predominantly Catholic country.<\/p>\n
In 1994, poverty incidence in Mindanao was 44 percent,
\ncompared with 24 percent in the northern region of Luzon and 38
\npercent in the central region of Visayas. Average literacy rate
\nwas 88 percent, compared with 95 percent in Luzon.<\/p>\n
President Joseph Estrada has vowed to fix the disparity and
\nturn Mindanao into what is it often called -- the land of
\npromise. But he stressed economic progress and social development
\ncan only take place after peace is ensured.<\/p>\n
Three months after the MILF and the government opened formal
\npeace talks in January, the military launched a large-scale
\nassault in a bid to contain the rebels in a single area -- Camp
\nAbubakar, the group's main headquarters covering 300,000
\nhectares.<\/p>\n
More than 20 key and satellite camps have already been
\ncaptured, including Camp Bushra, in the fighting described as the
\nworst in years. More than 400 people have been killed and at
\nleast 300,000 displaced in the hostilities.<\/p>\n
Estrada has ignored mounting calls for him to declare a cease-
\nfire, saying he would only order a halt in the offensive if the
\n15,000-strong MILF gives up its bid for independence.<\/p>\n
While the MILF has agreed to study a proposal that would grant
\nthem autonomy, there is no guarantee the settlement would be
\naccepted. Estrada has given the rebels until June 30 to make up
\ntheir minds.<\/p>\n
The MILF has been fighting for a separate Islamic state since
\n1978 when it split from the rival Moro National Liberation Front
\n(MNLF), which signed a landmark peace agreement with the
\nPhilippine government in 1996.<\/p>\n
MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim revealed in a 1999 interview that
\nthe split "was a tactical move" to ensure that if the MNLF
\nfailed, "we stay behind to continue the struggle for our rights."<\/p>\n
"What we want is for the Philippine government to give way to
\nthe aspirations of the Bangsamoro people to regain their freedom
\nand self-determination, which were illegally and immorally
\nusurped," Salamat said.<\/p>\n
"Almost all people in the world now are free," he added. "It
\nis only the Bangsamoro people who are not free until now."<\/p>\n
One year after the MNLF was granted self-rule under the four-
\nprovince Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, many former MNLF
\nfighters were so disgruntled over the peace pact's failure to
\nuplift their lives and defected to the MILF.<\/p>\n
Others joined the extremists Abu Sayyaf group, now holding 21
\nWestern and Asian hostages in the jungles of Jolo island, Sulu
\nprovince, the MNLF's former stronghold.<\/p>\n
The government has refused to open peace talks with the Abu
\nSayyaf, or "Bearer of the Sword", arguing the group is nothing
\nbut a rag-tag gang of bandits engaged in kidnapping-for-ransom,
\nextortion and other criminal activities.<\/p>\n
The Abu Sayyaf, however, insists it is continuing the MNLF's
\nstruggle. Its leaders defend their terrorist activities as
\n"instruments in our jihad (holy war) for an independent Islamic
\nstate".<\/p>\n
Hamasali Jawali, president of the Sulu State College, warned
\nthe conflict can only be resolved if the Muslims "are given
\nfreely the Islamic state where the Koran is the basis for
\nfundamental law."<\/p>\n
"The problem in Mindanao is ideology that is rooted in
\nhistory," he said. "The solution to the problem is the
\nestablishment of an experimental state under the Republic of the
\nPhilippines where the Koran is the state mandate."<\/p>\n
Amid the escalating costs of the conflict, which has
\nthreatened to drag down the national economy, some legislators
\nhave proposed a shift to a federal form of government to give way
\nto the Muslims' desire for separation.<\/p>\n
Others lawmakers, however, believe tackling poverty and
\nunderdevelopment would be the better approach.<\/p>\n
Senator Loren Legarda has proposed a Marshall Plan worth 101.8
\nbillion pesos (US$2.42 billion) to rehabilitate Mindanao in the
\nnext four years. The Marshall Plan was launched by the United
\nStates after World War II to revive the economies of Western
\nEurope.<\/p>\n
"It is apparent that a few billions spread over several years
\nwill have little or no meaningful impact in lifting Muslim
\nMindanao from decades of poverty and neglect," said Legarda,
\nchairman of the Senate committee on economic affairs.<\/p>\n
"What Muslim Mindanao needs is a massive infusion of several
\nbillion pesos worth of development funds over a short period,"
\nshe said.<\/p>",
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