Filipinos vote peacefully on Muslim autonomy plan

Filipinos vote peacefully on Muslim autonomy plan

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (Reuters): Thousands of troops were on alert in the volatile southern Philippines on Tuesday as a plebiscite was held on a proposal to expand a semi-autonomous region ruled by former Moro separatist rebels.

There were no immediate reports of violence as Christians and Muslims trekked to the polls during the voting held in parts of the main southern island of Mindanao and nearby isles.

Most of the areas voting are dominated by Christians, who are likely to turn down the proposal to join the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

"We will send our message through two letters: N-O," a woman voter told Reuters after casting her vote in Zamboanga, an overwhelmingly Christian city of almost 700,000 people.

Another resident, a man, said: "It's a 'no' vote for us."

Officials said they expected residents in most of the 11 provinces and 14 cities where the plebiscite was being held to reject inclusion in the ARMM. These regions have rejected similar plans in the past but a fresh plebiscite is being held to meet demands from Moro militants.

Set up by Manila to defuse a campaign by militants for a separate state in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic country, the impoverished semi-autonomous zone has been governed for the past five years by Moro separatist chief Nur Misuari.

Misuari, as chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), formally abandoned his goal of secession in favor of autonomy when he signed a peace pact with Manila in 1996.

He was later installed as governor of the semi-autonomous region comprising the four small, largely Muslim provinces of Sulu, Tawi Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

But the area has failed to take off economically and its two million residents remain among the poorest in the country.

The area also seethes with separatist revolts waged by other Moro radicals, including the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who have been holding two Americans and 16 Filipinos hostage for more than 10 weeks on Basilan island.

Zamzamin Ampatuan, executive director of the presidential Office of Muslim Affairs, predicted that Christian-dominated provinces would reject the idea of joining ARMM.

"Christians outside ARMM now see the reality obtaining in the autonomous region...What they are seeing are poverty and more conflicts. Naturally, their reaction is, 'Who would want to be part of that'?"

Despite fears from rebel groups, which have denounced the plebiscite as a ploy by the government to undercut their separatist dreams, no violent incident has been reported since polls opened.

"The military is on triple red alert...So far, there have been no untoward incidents and we are keeping our fingers crossed," election commissioner Resurreccion Borra said.

Borra said he expected a 50 percent turnout among the 4.9 million registered voters.

Ten of the 11 provinces and almost all of the 14 cities where the plebiscite was being held are largely Christian.

Presidential peace adviser Eduardo Ermita said last weekend he believed one province and two cities, at best, would vote to join the autonomous area.

The Philippines' estimated five million Muslim minority regard Mindanao and adjacent isles as their ancestral homeland but they have been reduced to a minority by migrations of rich Christian settlers which began in the 1950s.