By Turgut Alp Boyraz
COTABATO, Philippines
The head of the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines says he is already looking beyond a landmark peace agreement, which will be signed with the government on March 27.
Hajj Murad Al-Ebrahim told the Anadolu Agency that Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels had not given up their aspirations of an entirely independent state for the Bangsomoro – the country’s ethnically indigenous Muslim population.
“Independence is a collective right to the Bangsomoro… But if we feel the government gives us enough power to govern ourselves, then it can be an alternative to the aspiration of the Bangsomoro,” he told AA at Camp Darapanan - MILF’s headquarters near Cotabato city, in the country’s south.
Since the 1970s, the MILF and several other armed groups have supported a rebellion aimed at achieving independence for the country’s prominently Muslim south, determined to earn what they term "a better life" for the predominantly Catholic country's Muslim population.
The peace agreement represents the culmination of diplomatic efforts aimed at ending conflict in Mindanao, the home of the Muslim minority. It aims to bring to a close an insurgency that began in the 1970s and has killed more than 150,000 people, mostly civilians. The violence has also left large parts of the country’s fertile southern region mired in poverty.
Stressing that the agreement is not perfect, Hajj Murad told AA that even though it doesn’t grant independence to the Bangsomoro it does allow them to govern themselves. He warned, however, that this might not be the end of the struggle.
“If this agreement is not implemented properly… then the (end) decision will be up to the people.”
Responding to accusations from rebel groups who have refused to go along with the agreement that the deal does not reflect the needs of the Bangsomoro, Hajj Murad said they had tried to analyze all the failures of previous negotiations before entering the process.
“One concrete example of the positive changes in the latest agreement that satisfy us is the present set up of a ministerial form of a government. And if there is a need to change… we can recommend an amendment to the constitution,” he said.
Philippine forces continue to fight fierce battles with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Bangsomoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), both determined to win greater autonomy for the region. Other groups battling on include Abu Sayyaf, which has carried out kidnappings, bombings and beheadings in the region for more than a decade.
“We don’t understand why the MNLF – the country’s second largest rebel group - are saying that the present agreement doesn’t speak for the aspiration of Bangsomoro, when they accepted a far weaker agreement in 1996,” said Hajj Murad.
A deal was agreed between the government and the MNLF in 1996, but hundreds of its fighters continued the armed struggle, accusing the government of reneging on a promise to develop an autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao.
Habib Hashim Mudjahab, the head of the MNLF’s Islamic Command Council, has said that the latest deal serves as the final nail in the coffin of the 1996 agreement.
Responding to MNLF allegations that some MILF commanders are unhappy with the peace deal, Hajj Murad said that the movement is fully united, and all members had and all MILF offered their full support.
“Other groups which don’t accept the agreement can conduct sabotage and military activities. They are still capable of doing that. But if the Bangsomoro is satisfied with the agreement, then those groups can no longer survive.”
He said, however, that the MILF continue to hold their doors open in the hope that other rebel groups will join the process.
- Right to return
Hajj Murad said that a new governing body would decide what happens to the more than 50,000 people who lost their homes in fighting.
“Their fate will be decided by the Transition Justice body which will be formed according to the peace agreement. If there is no way to return to their homes, then there will be appropriate compensation paid,” he said.
A major sticking point of the deal has been the demilitarization of the MILF. Hajj Murad swore that there would be no surrender of arms.
“Some of the firearms will be used by the peace and security team, others also will be used by the police forces; the remainder will be put under the care of an international body. But definitely there will be no distraction or surrender of weapons.”
He said that some MILF fighters would join a new police force to be created as part of the agreement.
“It is still under discussion how many MILF members will join the force. There is no certain figure now, but there will also be outsiders according to their qualifications.”
- Challenges ahead
As the signing date nears, the MILF leader says the movement is already facing challenges – a major sticking point being will Philippine congress approve the agreement?
“We won’t accept it if congress tries to water down the deal,” he said.
Another challenge is the expectation of the people.
“One very important challenge we are facing now is that people have very high expectations that once the agreement is signed and implementation starts, then there has to be immediate benefits.”
Hajj Murad said that people needed to feel change within the year.
“We see the situation as being very challenging because Bangsomoro are very much left behind the rest of the Philippines people… We are among the country’s poorest areas and poverty is prevalent, so we have to work very hard in order to uplift the economic and social situation of the Bangsomoro.”
- United Bangsomoro Justice Party
Hajj Murad said that the MILF would continue to be an Islamic social organization and work with the government to implement socioeconomic programs for Bangsomoro.
“We will be forming a political party and the name will be the United Bangsomoro Justice Party.”
He said they have not finally decided who will lead the political party.
“Even if I don’t join the government, I still can play a role. We will wait for their decision of our central committee and our people,” he said.
- Development priorities
Explaining that the MILF is in the process of preparing a comprehensive development program, Hajj Murad said priorities are short, medium and long-term policies in three areas - education, health and infrastructure.
He said that because of the four decades of war, Bangsomoro were not able to obtain a good enough education and local medical facilities remained very limited.
One way of funding such policies is through the mining of natural resources, he said.
“We know that exploring natural resources will take a long time. Our people will not immediately feel it. But we will do that because it is a reality that we have natural gas and oil in our area. First, we will focus more on the short and medium term programs.”
- Advice from overseas
Stressing that "the Bangsomoro struggle has not ended, but transformed to another level which is more difficult and more complex,” Hajj Murad said his people needed more support in order to realize the agreement.
“We appeal to our brothers and sisters from Turkey to continue their support and sympathy for the Bangsomoro. We also appeal to the Turkish government to continue to extend more support to the peace agreement."
He added that he was also impressed with the way the present Turkish government was running the country.
“We look to Turkey to inspire us and give us guidelines on how to run our own government,” he said.
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