The Philippines: Counter-Insurgency Vs. Counter-Terrorism in Mindanao

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PUBLISHED ON May 14, 2008 AT 8:41 PM

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To the Philippine government:

1. Facilitate insurgent cooperation against terrorists by addressing substantive political grievances, including by committing immediately to:

a) resume exploratory talks with the MILF on the basis of the right to self-determination of the Bangsamoro people, with the goal of a formal agreement on ancestral domain by June 2008 and formal talks on a final agreement to start by July; and

b) resume Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) tripartite talks to review implementation of the 1996 Jakarta peace agreement with the MNLF, without further delay, and with Nur Misuari’s participation, as sought by the MNLF.

2. Initiate discussion with both MILF and MNLF on re-establishing counter-terrorist cooperation along the following lines:

a) appoint senior, full-time AHJAG chairs and staff, ensure full and prompt funding and create teams for Basilan and Sulu;

b) encourage the MILF, as a step toward the demobilisation and reintegration of its members in the event a peace agreement is signed, to clarify its membership, in the first instance by providing a list of expelled members to prevent post-facto alibis; and

c) formalise government-MNLF ceasefire mechanisms, map MNLF camps and communities in Sulu, and upgrade the gentlemen’s agreement that facilitated Oplan Ultimatum’s early success to formal ceasefire and intelligence sharing mechanisms.

d) Guarantee in return through a restored international Joint Monitoring Committee that clearly demarcated MNLF camps and communities will not be attacked.

To the U.S. government:

3. Review official military doctrine with emphasis on clarifying the distinction between insurgents and terrorists, and in the specific Philippine case encourage insurgent cooperation against terrorists by supporting AHJAG and similar mechanisms.

4. Use all the resources at its disposal to encourage the Philippine government and the MILF to finalise a formal peace agreement.

Jakarta/Brussels, 14 May 2008

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2 Responses to “The Philippines: Counter-Insurgency Vs. Counter-Terrorism in Mindanao”

Philippines ‘Confused’ in War Vs. Terror, Separatism – PinoyPress — Philippines news, opinion, blogs. Says:
May 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
[...] Counterinsurgency vs Counter-Terrorism in Mindanao An MILF fighter in Sultan Kudarat. | Read the ICG’s report here. [...]
Ken Says:
August 21st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
tnx..poh nagawa q rin ung project q more pose to come…

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