The continued conspiracy and betrayal of the Philippine government against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsamoro people (Muslims in Mindanao) has resulted to the resumption of all-out war in Mindanao, the traditional homeland of the Muslims in South Philippines.

       As this developed, MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari urged the Muslim world, especially the 56 member nations of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to condemn in its strongest degree the senseless, barbaric and indiscriminate attack of the Philippine occupation forces to the Muslims in the province of Sulu in Mindanao where more than one hundred people, mostly innocent civilians, were killed. The attack has been done in this holy month of Ramadhan.

       Chairman Misuari denied the off-repeated charges of the Philippine government under the harsh regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the renewed war in Mindanao is a result of the strong objection of the MNLF to the conduct of the elections today (Nov. 26, 2001) in the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

       Misuari said the MNLF does not dip its fingers in the ARMM elections because it is a unilateral act of the Philippine government, which is a gross and blatant violation of the September 2, 1996 peace agreement.

       He added the resumption of the war in Mindanao is a result of the betrayal of the Philippine government to its international binding commitments and obligations in the peace accord.

       The MNLF and the Philippine government signed a peace agreement on September 2, 1996 after four long years of peace negotiations brokered by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for the establishment of the so-called “genuine, comprehensive, just and lasting” political autonomy in Mindanao as a compromise solution to the just and legitimate demand of the MNLF and the Bangsamoro people for self-rule in their traditional homeland.

       However, the Philippine government, instead of complying with its commitments and obligations, crafted a law, Republic Act No. 9054 and conducted the elections in the ARMM, all unilateral move of the government in gross violation of the peace agreement.

       It can be recalled that during the OIC Islamic Summit Conference of all heads of states in Doha, Qatar in November 2000, and during the 27th Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) in June 2000 and during the 28th ICFM held in Bamako, Republic of Mali in June this year, the OIC in their series of resolutions, called on the Philippine government not to unilaterally implement the peace agreement. Instead, it should provide all necessary peace and development initiatives in Mindanao in order to give conducive atmosphere for the people to decide wisely on the establishment of the Autonomy.

       However, the Philippine government had completely ignored and denied the OIC resolutions and it implemented the peace accord according to its own interpretation.

       Because of its complete failure to implement the peace agreement in letter and spirit, Chairman Nur Misuari criticized the government and demanded for its full implementation.

       The government ignored the MNLF demand and, instead, designed a move to unseat Misuari as Chairman of the MNLF. It conspired with few former MNLF officials who called themselves the Executive Council of 15 to unseat and saw dissension among the rank and file of the MNLF organization.

       The Philippine government, for years, continued to malign the MNLF Chairman with all their concocted lies and fabricated charges of corruption and mismanagement.

       Unsatisfied of its treacherous act and conspiracy against the MNLF and the Bangsamoro people, the Philippine government charged in court Chairman Misuari with cases of rebellion and abuse of authority and administrative case as a of the armed encounter in Sulu on November 19, 2001.

       The MNLF leadership clarified, however, that the armed encounters were results of the continued provocations, attacks and intrusion of the Philippine armed forces to the MNLF positions and camps in the area and other parts of Mindanao.

       The MNLF mujahideen and freedom fighters vowed to fight back against the Philippine occupation forces and will continue to fight for the total independence and decolonization of their homeland now that the Philippine government had finally rejected and abrogated the peace agreement.