The Mindanao problem where there's fighting between Christians and Muslims in one part of the Philippines had been happening since i was young and it's still here 30 yrs later.
Nur Misuari is again mentioned in the news recently.
Why is this a recurring problem?
Who is Nur Misuari?
Misuari was a lecturer at the University of the Philippines in political science and in the 1960s, he established the Mindanao Independence Movement which aimed to organize an independent state in southern Philippines. The Mindanao Independence Movement formed the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that sought political reforms from the Government of the Philippines. Unable to gain reforms, the MNLF engaged in military conflict against the Philippine government and its supporters between 1972 to 1976 under the leadership of Misuari. The military resistance to the government of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos did not produce autonomy for the Moro people. He departed to Saudi Arabia in exile. He returned to the Philippines after Marcos was removed from office during the People Power Revolution in 1986.
Misuari justified the MNLF armed struggle on the non-implementation of the Tripoli Agreement, originally signed by Ferdinand Marcos and later included and accepted in the peace agreement signed by former Philippine president Fidel Ramos in the 1990s. This agreement established an autonomous region for Moros with Misuari as governor. He was removed from his office whenGloria Macapagal-Arroyo became president in 2001 and was arrested in 2007 on charges of terrorism. On December 20, 2007 he was denied a petition for bail and remained under house arrest in Manila. The Philippine court however, granted the bail petition of Misuari's seven co-accused, at 100,000 pesos.[1] On April 25, 2008, he was allowed to post bail, upon the instructions of the Cabinet security cluster.[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nur_Misuari
According to the GMA news published n Sept. 11, 2013, Misuari's followers attacked Zamboanga City in the Philippines
'Last month, Misuari declared independence in his Sulu stronghold. His followers attacked Zamboanga City last Monday, resulting in a standoff with the military that is now on its third day.'
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/326045/news/nation/gov-t-panel-denies-disregarding-misuari-mnlf-in-peace-process
In the same news article, it was said that it was Not the whole MNLF that attacked Zamboanga
'Last week, the Secretary said their facilitator from Indonesia came to the Philippines and met with the government panel and two MNLF groups to tell them that they will be holding a meeting in Indonesia.
A few days after that, however, Misuari's followers attacked Zamboanga City.
"It is a violation of what one has said on that table that, in fact, a tripartite meeting was the process that would address these problems," she said.
Deles said they have already informed the Indonesian Embassy about the attack.
But she immediately noted that it was important to "recognize" that it wasn't the whole MNLF that attacked Zamboanga.
"Other senior MNLF leaders have spoken and said that we have not, we are not supportive of this, this is Misuari acting on his own," she said.'
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/326045/news/nation/gov-t-panel-denies-disregarding-misuari-mnlf-in-peace-process
Let's look at What's In the 'Peace Deal'
http://www.unpo.org/article/14993
The Philippines has signed a framework peace plan with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country’s largest Muslim group. Signed by the chief of negotiators of the government and of the MILF, and witnessed by President Benigno Aquino and MILF leader Murad Ebrahim, this peace deal provides for a new autonomous region in the south of the country, a Muslim-majority area which is to be called Bangsamoro.
The Moro people have been systematically marginalised and victimised in an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country. Not only have they been subjected to discriminatory employment and housing policies throughout the centuries, but they have also been frequently misportrayed in the media. The escalating tensions between the Philippine government and the Moro people have been fuelled in the last half a century by the illegal annexation of the Moro’s land by Christian-Filipino militias such as the Ilaga. This not only resulted in a gradual displacement of the Moro from their homeland, changing the demographics of the area but has also meant that the region has become impoverished and underdeveloped.
After nearly 40 years of conflict and the loss of around 120,00 lives, it was agreed on 15 October 2012 that the new region of Bangsamoro is to replace the existing region that was created in 1989 and has recently been depicted by President Aquino as a ‘failed experiment’.
The preliminary pact delineates the principles for addressing the so-called Bangsamoro question, determining the jurisdiction and structures of a new self-governance entity that will replace and have greater power, both political and economic, than the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It also lays down the foundations upon which the new relations between the Central government and the one in Bangsamoro will be forged.
- See more at: http://www.unpo.org/article/14993#sthash.pRaSfPlp.dpufSo, we can see here that we have to face the consequence of what we accept and allow in this world.
We have to walk as equals.
Otherwise, we will have to face the problems of a world that is divided, grouped according to religious affiliations, according to what we like and what we do not like etc.
While we negotiate with one group for an agreement another group will disagree and will want to attack us.
Self-interest is the name of the war game.
We avoid the real issues in our failing economy through war and that is true in the Philippine scene and in the US -Syria situation.
Let's address the main problem: Poverty and Inequality.
When are we going to look at what will benefit everyone?
The news indicate that the US is said to be considering attacking Syria and so even if we have peace in the Philippines and all of these issues about secessionist movements in Mindanao gets resolved, if Obama pushes through with war with Syria we will all be affected.
The OFW's from the middle East has now returned to the Philippines because of the impending war in Syria. Where are they going to get money from?
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/09/03/1165191/ofws-be-repatriated-syria-dfa
Where will the people who will be affected by war get money and food? If there are agencies helping how long will the assistance going to be? It will be for a limited time, so why not assisting all from birth to death so all will survive?
We have to realize that our fear of survival is driving our desire for war and interestingly enough our desire for peace also comes from the same fear.
We have to see that this is the polarity equation in our minds we are living in reality.
One cannot survive without the other.
We have to look at our fear. Fear of survival drives us to compete to win.
Let us look at the value we give each other and the value we give Money.
Humans, plants, animals etc. are given a value less than Life. Money is given a value that is less than Life.
We cannot see that Money can be given a value equal to Life. We can use money to benefit all.
Why do we separate each other into self-interest groups when every decision we make affect us all? Why do we divide the earth's land and claim one part as ours and defend it using weapons that kill human, plant and animal life? Why do we destroy the ecosystem that support us to survive?
Why do we do this?
There's a lot of Money to be made in war.
'As they say, follow the money'
REAL World Peace is about us caring for what is benefit all not just one group or country but all groups and all countries.
What about us working together as one group called Team Life looking at the inequality that is here and providing a solution that will benefit all - where we can walk as equals so all equally survive and enjoy life?
We have to provide the basic necessities for everyone to Live a dignified Life.
We have to look at nationalizing resources and creating dividends sufficient to pay for a Basic/Living Income, Guaranteed from birth to death.
We have to realize that we all have an equal Land Right.
An Equal Land Right that places every living being on the land they choose to call their home, where living bodies walk upon the soil from which their lives are nourished and sustained, that provides both security and sustenance, that engages with the animal and plant kingdoms in interactive concert that becomes harmonious with the life force of all beings and all of life equal as one.
