CROSS BORDER TERRORISM: THE LINK BETWEEN MALAYSIA MILITANT GROUP (KMM) & JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH (JI) - CONNECTION AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL SECURITY
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Article by: Dr Mizan Aslam
PART 3 - The Malaysia Connections (PHILIPPINES)
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PHILIPPINES
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The connection between Malaysia and Southern Philippines was back centuries ago during the rule of Brunei and Sulu Sultanate in the area of Sulu Archipelago. The people’s movement between these countries happened without many issues instead of separation and borderline marked by British in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei and Spanish in the Philippines. The Bangsamoro’ have, historically, inhabited a diverse range of environments from jungle villages to densely populated cities, since their initial presence as traders and missionaries in the 13th century. Indeed, the modern-day Muslim community comprises a sizeable percentage of the population as a whole; currently 10 million people from a total Philippine population of around 84.5 million.
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However, the resistance of Moro people in the Philippines government changed the story in this archipelago. Furthermore, it is of interest to note the Bangsamoro population has retained aspects of an indigenous pre-Islamic and pre-colonial Philippine culture. This is expressed in dress, music, political traditions and a variety of folk beliefs and practices which are similar to those found elsewhere in island Southeast Asia but are today almost entirely absent among Christian Filipinos. Thus, while Philippine Christians and Muslims inhabit the same regions, provinces and cities, they are separated by an inherent cultural gulf that is subsequent to historical circumstances.
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This cultural gulf has been partially exacerbated by Christian Filipinos (including representatives of the Philippine state) who have tended to view Philippine Muslims as socially backward and untrustworthy because of their history of resistance to Hispanicization. For their part, Philippine Muslims have tended to be highly suspicious of the intentions of the Philippine government and generally wary of Christian Filipinos. Despite these prejudices and suspicions, the co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the Southern Philippines is one that has been largely peaceful.
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Despite this primarily peaceful relationship, the conflict in Mindanao has substantive roots in the history of the Philippines and has largely been concentrated in the Muslim majority areas of the centre and South-West. Specifically, the areas of conflict have been region IX (Western Mindanao), Region XII (Central Mindanao) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and region XI (Southern Mindanao), which consists of Davao del Sur, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
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Resentment resulting from a number of factors, namely a) the increasing number of Christian settlers b) centralized control and c) logging and mining activities, which were a predominant source of export earnings, prompted the development of a resistance movement under the aegis of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). The MNLF, founded and led by Nur Misuari, is the original underground political front of the Muslim separatist rebellion. Misuari is a signatory to the Tripoli Agreement of 1976, the first peace agreement signed between Muslim separatists and the Philippine government. Abu Bakar Carmen (2002) wrote: “Until recently the MNLF was the only separatist group with which the Philippine government was willing to negotiate in any substantive way”.
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The MILF dates from 1984 as a separate organization, but its roots can be traced back to the beginnings of modern Muslim separatism. Its leader, Hashim Salamat, was second in command of the MNLF until 1979. The MILF headquarters are based in central Mindanao and as a movement, it is well organized and retains broad popular support in rural villages.[11] Although the MILF has stressed the Islamic aspect of the separatist movement, the goals and policies of the MNLF and the MILF do not differ significantly.
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It is interesting to consider that the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is of relatively recent origin, appearing only in 1995 and centred on the island of Basilan. Abu Sayyaf was considered to be a small, radical and somewhat mysterious group with limited popular support. While the ASG has garnered more headlines in the past five years with its killings and kidnappings of Christians, it is by far the smallest of the three groups and the MNLF and the MILF have condemned the activities of the Abu Sayyaf.
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In 1998, Joseph Estrada declared an “all-out war policy” as a result of the confrontation with MILF. Then, in April 2000, large military armies were mobilized to Mindanao and raided several MILF camps. Although the assault was successful on the surface, it failed to crush the MILF, which strategically chose to avoid direct confrontation by splintering into smaller groups and hiding in remote areas of the region.
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Arroyo’s administration’s initially announced an “all-out peace policy”. Following this, in June 2003, Manila and MILF created a ceasefire agreement under the patronage of the Malaysian Government. International Monitoring Team, led by the Malaysian government was put in place soon after the Arroyo government was willing to talk with MILF, followed by the forged “Joint Government-MILF Ceasefire on the Cessation of Hostilities” (JCCCH).
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