Armed Conflicts in Moroland

The situation in Central Mindanao is escalating even as the Holy Month of Ramadhan have started. To date, more than 300,000 thousand civilians have fled their homes seeking refuge in ill-equipped evacuation centers. Roughly about 300 death tolls, most of which are innocent civilians, have been recorded. People are dying on the ground. Armed conflicts will continue to haunt Moroland as long as the interest of the ruling elite are not satisfied. As the Workers Party put it in their press statement, the ongoing conflicts between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front are “concrete characterization of globalization driven peace process where big capitalist and neo colonial interest countries like the United States of America (USA) and Malaysia play the pivotal roles.”

Below is an excerpt from a press statement by the workers party on their analysis on the ongoing armed conflicts in Mindanao:

“The US has considered Mindanao to have a very important role to play in its comprehensive security strategy in the ASEAN region and the MILF is seen as a major player in undercutting the influence of anti-American extremists particularly among the Muslim population in the region.

The Malaysian interest is the resource rich island of Sabah which the Philippines has ownership through the Sultanate of Sulu but strangely it has never been mentioned in the MOA-AD as part of Ancestral domain/territory of the Bangsamoro. A fractured Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan and the country as a whole will surely weaken its claim to Sabah.

And as one observes with the unfolding events, it has been cleared that the GRP from day one is not really serious about the MOA-AD. The events have been orchestrated to show that the people are the ones who want the MOA-AD rejected. The struggle now is between the people including the traditional politicians from the Bangsamoro and the MILF. The arming of civilians (covertly or overtly) should be understood in this context.

The trap of the MILF has been set up. The GRP has effectively convinced the leadership of the MILF that it is serious with the MOA-AD and the events surrounding its stoppage are “beyond” its control. The reactions of Ombra Kato, Bravo and Pangalian (MILF Base Commanders) on this delayed and TRO of the signing of the MOA-AD have been the bases for the consummation of the trap. These commanders have been haunted for their criminal acts against the Christian Civilians and since the MILF would not turn them over to the GRP or disown them, all out military and police operations are justified as shown not only from the support of the civilians but from the inaction of the international bodies which have been helping with the peace talks directly and indirectly.

The MILF will respond accordingly and we will expect the worst to come in the coming days and during the month of Ramadhan.

The agenda beyond 2010 will advance to its next stage and that is a declaration of a national Emergency situation by GMA. Then the Charter Change which has been the real agenda behind the MOA-AD will be implemented and the allies of GMA in the house have been initiating it so that again it will not appear that it will be coming from GMA. In such atmosphere the results of the plebiscite or a referendum will be controlled, directed and fixed towards the fulfillment of the ‘beyond 2010 agenda’.

This scenario will only be possible if peace stakeholders like us will continue with our ‘business as usual’ position and so called principled inaction.”