All quiet on the Western front

It’s all quiet on the Western front. They used to say this phrase in the movies to denote lack of visible change in the war front.

This phrase describes aptly what is obtaining in the conflict areas in Mindanao which is literally in the western part of the region. The silence in fact is deafening it elicits this uncanny feeling that the conflict could have either been finally resolved and come to a happy ending or that the elements that have been at war with the government are actually gearing up for still another war.

We wanted to believe with an assurance that the guns of war between the secessionist front and the government forces had been silenced and would like to credit this to the ongoing peace negotiation. The absence of any semblance of terrorist activities has also prevailed for a number of days now giving rise to optimism that after all the government forces and have finally won the hearts and confidence of the island communities in Sulu and Basilan where the terrorist elements freely roamed in the past. If civilians cooperate with the peacekeeping forces there is no way these terror groups can cause havoc and perdition. If the peaceful condition persists it will not take long for people to live and enjoy normal lives and go on with their means of livelihood. Sooner the capitalists will come back and those who had been dislocated from their jobs will finally find one. The younger generations whose opportunities may have been denied them because of endless conflict.

It’s silent on the Western front and yet if this persist longer than what use to be and we see victims of kidnapping finally released from their captors by sheer pressure of change in the community that may still be providing shelter to those who held them hostage in exchange for ransom then we can say that indeed this one is the dawning of the new day.

It would take sometime for the confidence level to be restored in areas ravaged by war. It is a divine consolation that we enjoy and relish the freedom and the atmosphere of quiet that peaceful environment breeds. If we opt for this environment then we have to nurture this and make known to those who still might attempt to stir another conflict to stop their crazy adventurism.