Peace office to China envoy: International support crucial to BARMM process
MANILA, Philippines — The peace process in the Southern Philippines happened with the help of a third-party country — Malaysia — and is continuing with international support the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.
OPAPRU, which used to be the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, is the lead agency in peace talks and processes with former rebel groups like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front and the Revolutionary Proletarian Army.
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It issued the statement Monday in response to remarks from Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian likening the Taiwan situation with that of the peace process in the Bangsamoro region.
"The success of the Mindanao peace process has a vibrant support from the stakeholders as well as the international community," OPAPRU said.
It said that the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front "ever since has been facilitated by a third-party country to ensure fairness and maintain the integrity of the peace negotiations."
A multinational International Monitoring Team operated in the region as peacekeepers until 2022. Development projects in the region have received support from abroad, including from the European Union, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and from international NGOs.
"[T]he role of the international community in the southern peace process is very crucial to help deliver the peace dividends" during the implementation of the 2014 peace agreement between the government and MILF, the office also said. The peace agreement included the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the ongoing development of MILF camps into peaceful communities and the disarmament of former fighters.
Huang, in comments last week, told the Philippines — which observes the 'One China' policy and has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan — to oppose Taiwan independence and cautioned against being used to raise tension across the Taiwan strait.
He said the Taiwan issue is an internal one similar to the southern Philippines. "You will never allow any third party to meddle with resolving rebel issues in Mindanao," the ambassador said in remarks that the embassy now says were misquoted.
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In its statement on Monday, OPAPRU said it "[encourages] countries with similar situations as ours to follow the same path in resolving conflicts peacefully and not resort to threat of force, intimidation, and/or violence."
Referencinng tension in the Taiwan Strait, OPAPRU added that the Bangsamoro peace process can be replicated with "genuine and inclusive dialogue, respect and good faith by all parties."
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