US peace institute hails gov’t, MILF negotiators

COTABATO CITY — Peace negotiators of both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are doing their work diligently, paving the way for the fragile peace now reigning in supposedly hostile regions in the South, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) said.

Eugene Martin, executive director of USIP’s Philippine Project, however, said all sectors in Mindanao, not just the MILF, must be involved as "stakeholders" in the peace talks.

In a dialogue here with a group of select reporters, Martin and USIP’s senior research associate Astrid Tuminez hailed the efforts of the government and MILF panels to forge ahead with the peace process.

Tuminez, who hails from Iloilo but is now based in Hong Kong, cited the fragile peace in ceasefire-covered areas as one indicator that the peace talks are gaining headway.

The peace talks between the government and the MILF started on Jan. 7, 1997, but became cordial only more than a year ago when the Malaysian government deployed a contingent of soldiers from Brunei and Malaysia and civilian officials from Libya in Mindanao to help enforce the ceasefire, thus preventing undue hostilities while the negotiations are underway.

Martin said the USIP, which is based in Washington D and established in the early 1990s, has been helping both the government and MILF peace panels and the Malaysian secretariat assisting the peace talks.

Malaysia, a member of the influential Organization of Islamic Conference, is brokering the talks.

The USIP, funded by the US Congress, has been sponsoring multisectoral and inter-agency dialogues on the Southern Mindanao peace process to encourage public cooperation in resolving the Moro secessionist problem peacefully.

"We even brought in experts from different countries to talk about peace processes and the benefits of resolving conflicts through peace negotiations," Martin said.

He said the USIP also has various peace-building activities in the Balkan Peninsula, parts of Africa, Central Asia and Afghanistan.