MNLF calls for the convening of the Tripartite Meeting

THE enlarged Central Committee leadership of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has urged the Tripartite Parties — MNLF, Organization of Islamic Conference, and Philippine Government — to immediately convene the long-stalled tripartite meeting so as to salvage the last remaining ray of hope under the peace process.

            In a Resolution unanimously approved during a clandestine meeting in Davao City, Mindanao, South Philippines on March 1, 2002, the MNLF leaders, likewise, renewed their wholehearted trust, confidence and loyalty to H.E. Prof. Nur Misuari as Chairman of the Central Committee of the MNLF notwithstanding his illegal detention by the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo government.

            The MNLF leaders also vowed to muster all political, legal and extraordinary peaceful efforts for the speedy release of Chairman Misuari, even as they strengthened their peaceful and democratic resolve to solve the Bangsamoro problem. They also reiterated their strong commitment to the September 2, 1996 MNLF-OIC-GRP Final Peace Agreement. 

            The MNLF Chairman is presently confined inside a police detention facilities at Fort Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa, province of Laguna in Southern Luzon since January 7, 2001 after the arrogant and treacherous government of Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia turned him over to the Philippine government.

            Misuari was illegally arrested and detained by Malaysian authorities on November 22, 2001 in the island of Jampiras, Sandakan, Malaysia on his way to Saudi Arabia to report to the OIC the Philippine military all out war against the MNLF positions in Sulu, which was a brazen violation of the OIC-brokered peace accord. 

            The Arroyo government charged a rebellion case against him following the heavy encounter between the MNLF mujahideen (freedom fighters) and government troops in Sulu on November 19, 2001 that resulted to the killing of more than a hundred soldiers.

            However, the MNLF maintains that the war was only a result of previous military atrocities against the MNLF positions in Sulu and other parts of Mindanao.

            The MNLF leaders’ call for the immediate convening of the tripartite meeting is in accordance with the series of OIC Resolutions during the 26^th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) meeting in Burkina Faso in June 1999, the 9^th Islamic Summit Conference of all Muslim heads of states in Doha, Qatar in November 1999, the 27^th ICFM in June 2000 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 28^th ICFM in Bamako, Republic of Mali in June 2001.

            All the Resolution had called on the Philippine government to respect its international binding commitments and obligations under the 1996 peace accord. The same resolutions also called for the convening of the tripartite meeting of the MNLF, OIC Ministerial Committee of the Eight and the Philippine government to discuss and agree on the new timetable for the full implementation of the agreement.

The Resolutions also called on the Philippine government not to unilaterally conduct the plebiscite and elections in ARMM until year 2003, and instead, provide all the necessary steps for the implementation of development programs and projects in Mindanao so that the people could decide wisely during the referendum on the issue of the so-called “genuine, comprehensive, lasting and acceptable” political solution to the question of Muslims in South Philippines.

However, all the OIC Resolutions were completely ignored and rejected by the Philippine government.

The MNLF Central Committee Resolution also says the MNLF leaders have decided to maintain their brotherly dialogue, meeting and coordination with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front under the leadership of Ustadz Salamat Hashim with the end in view of forging complete unity and solidarity of the Bangsamoro people in their march to total peace, freedom, development and self-determination.

 The two fraternal organizations had initially forged a unity and solidarity agreement in October 2001. However, some intervening developments in Mindanao had prevented them to finalize the agreement.

Meanwhile, the MNLF also urged the United Nations Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization to give preferential focus of attention to the Question of  Self-determination of the Bangsamoro people so as to enrich universal freedom and international peace. # # #