PRESS RELEASE
October 19, 2000
IN THE wake of mounting demand from many sectors for
independence and total decolonization of the Bangsamoro people,
Moro National Liberation Front chair Nur Misuari has called on
the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) through the
Fact-finding Mission “to take seriously the problem of the
Bangsamoro people once and for all”.
Misuari urged the OIC to consider in their decision
making two very important things: setting a time frame in the
implementation of the peace agreement and elevation of the MNLF
from observer to full member in the OIC.
Speaking during a briefing and dinner meeting of Muslim
leaders and MNLF officials with the members of the OIC
fact-finding mission in Cotabato City last night, Misuari, who
is also the ARMM Regional Governor, asked the OIC Special
Mission to do something historic even as he asked for a defining
moment and clear cut strategy to resolve the never-ending
problem in South Philippines.
“Brothers when you return to your respective country,
please try to convey to the 56 Muslim head of states to please
study the problems of your Muslim brothers and highlander
(tribal) communities (in
Mindanao) once and for all and please convince them that this is
the right time now to come up with a plan of action detailing
the time frame when that autonomy shall be delivered to us.
“So
please we beg of you brothers from the Islamic world to listen
for one single moment to our pleading. Please recommend these
two things: Enhancement of our participation in the OIC and the
timetable to deliver genuine political autonomy to us.”
He
said while other groups are demanding for independence, he still
clings to autonomy as the most viable solution to the Mindanao
problem.
He
said through the implementation of the peace agreement, “we
can still retrieve everything”, referring to the call for
independence and total decolonization of the Bangsamoro people.
“But
if we do not get anything from 9th Islamic Summit
Conference, then I will go back to the people and ask for a
fresh mandate. If they still want autonomy, we will continue to
fight for it. But if they want independence, I will declare
right away the call for independence of our Homeland.”
But
the MNLF Chairman was quick to add that like all other peaceful
struggle such as in Quebec, Timor and other parts of the world,
he wants to do it the peaceful way.
In
his previous statements, the MNLF Chairman repeatedly called on
the government and the OIC not to allow the genuine autonomy
prescribed in the peace agreement to be overtaken by events by
immediately implementing the peace accord in letter and spirit.
But Misuari demanded that any autonomy to be implemented
shall be in accordance with the mother agreement which is the
1976 Tripoli Agreement citing, among others, the failure of the
government to fully implement the September 2, 1996 Final Peace
Agreement in letter and spirit.
He said the provision of the 1996-peace accord on
transitional mechanism has been proven a miserable failure. “They
(government) gave us three years but it was a failure. They
extended another year but it was a failure. They are going to
extend it to another year but it will fail again without
necessary funding.”
The OIC Special Mission Group I headed by Saudi Arabia
Ambassador Saleh Mohammad Al-Ghamdi is now in mainland Mindanao
to assess the implementation of the September 2,1996 Final Peace
Agreement between the MNLF and the Philippine government.
Other members of the mission from the OIC Ministerial
Committee of the Six are Ambassador Soeratmin of Indonesia,
Libyan Ambassador Salem Adem, Senegal Ambassador Aladji Amadou
Thiam, Bangladesh Charge d’ Affairs Syed Masud Mahmoud
Khundoker and Abdullah Ahmad Al-Kharbash, director-general for
Muslim Community and Minority Affairs.
Result of their assessment of the implementation of the
peace agreement will be reported to the 9th Islamic
Summit Conference to be held in Doha, State of Qatar on November
12-14, 2000 to be attended by the Presidents, King, Emirs and
Head of States of the 56 Muslim countries. # # #
Fn/SgprFact-finding2
