Philippine govt and MNLF sign peace agreement

By Pandaya

MANILA (JP): The Philippine government and the Moslem- separatist Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a peace agreement yesterday, thereby ending 25 years of conflict which claimed more than 125,000 lives.

In the historic event at the Malacanang presidential palace, the Philippine government was represented by Manuel T. Yan, who represents its peace panel, and the MNLF by its chairman Nur Misuari.

Witnessing the signing of the agreement were Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Hamid Algabid.

The accord, which was finalized in Jakarta last week under Indonesia's facilitation, sets up a three-year interim Southern Council for Peace and Development to supervise the economic development of 14 southern provinces.

Misuari will head the council, the forerunner to the administration of the Moslem autonomous region to be installed in three years time.

President Ramos and Misuari hugged each other amid thunderous applaud from about 1,000 religious and community leaders in their colorful Mindanao traditional costumes, church leaders and politicians that packed into the palace's function room.

"Today we are all victors once again. We stand triumphant over war and violence -- over fear and mistrust -- over disunity and despair," Ramos said.

"Our people in the South and all over our republic can now rejoice and embrace one another as brothers and sisters of one family," he added.

Ramos and Misuari praised President Soeharto and his administration for ensuring the peace talks concluded to the satisfaction of all parties.

Indonesia, which is an OIC member, hosted the MNLF-Philippine government peace talks since 1993.

The peace accord allows the government to skirt constitutional hurdles like elections and legislations, albeit only temporarily. But both sides will have to face the voters in 1999 when Manila is required to hold a referendum to determine which areas will fall under Moslem autonomy.

The five million Moslems on Mindanao consider the island their ancestral homeland even though Christian migrants now outnumber them.

Christian politicians have vowed to fight the peace deal because they fear autonomy will eventually lead to domination by Moslems.

Filipino Moslems belonging to the Moro Islamic National Liberation Front (MILF) and others led by Abu Sayyaf, who want to make Mindanao into an independent Islamic state, are also opposed to it.

Misuari said in a press conference that the first thing he would do is restore stability but not raise expectations. "We will tell our sisters and brothers not to expect too much too soon because we cannot provide everything overnight," he said.

He reckoned that the major problem he is likely to face after the agreement takes effect is how to "establish peace" in the southern provinces considering the lack of a budget to implement it.

Misuari dispelled doubts on the prospects of the accord once Ramos is no longer in power. "He (President Ramos) has ensured me he would see to it that his successor is someone sympathetic to the Moro cause," he said.

He said security is his major concern because the MNLF does not have its own police force and has to rely on the government's armed forces.

An estimated 7,500 MNLF troops will join the Philippine Armed Forces and the police.

The secessionist conflict in the southern provinces started when MNLF militia seized the Mindanao state university in Marawi in October 1972.

Peace talks made progress only after political stability returned to the Philippines under the Ramos administration, which restarted the negotiations in 1993 under the facilitation of Indonesia.

Alatas -- Page 2

Misuari -- Page 4

Photo -- Page 11