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Philippine Government Cancels Peace Talks with MILF, Pursues All-Out War Against the Bangsa Moro people in Mindanao

With heavy heart, the Alliance for A Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) –USA express its deep and profound sadness over the cancellation of the peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MLIF) and the Government of the Philippines (GRP) that was to begun today, August 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The AJLPP condemned the announcement of the cancellation of the peace talks as a big blow against peace. Today, Malacañang official who declined to be named said they have decided to hold off the talks so they could attend to pressing matters that are not related to the ongoing Basilan offensive.
AJLPP RP Update 0802
August 20, 2007

Philippine Government Cancels Peace Talks with MILF, Pursues All-Out War Against the Bangsa Moro people in Mindanao

San Francisco—With heavy heart, the Alliance for A Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) –USA express its deep and profound sadness over the cancellation of the peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MLIF) and the Government of the Philippines (GRP) that was to begun today, August 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The AJLPP condemned the announcement of the cancellation of the peace talks as a big blow against peace. Today, Malacañang official who declined to be named said they have decided to hold off the talks so they could attend to pressing matters that are not related to the ongoing Basilan offensive.

This announcement came as President Arroyo ordered an all-out offensive against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) whose members beheaded 10 of the 14 soldiers who were killed or wounded in an ambush by the MILF in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan last July 10.

The official said even Malaysia is reluctant to host the talks until a breakthrough is achieved in the debates over ancestral domain. But even then, it is still impossible for the peace negotiations to resume today because participants in the talks have not yet left the Philippines, according to another source.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu also said: “I understand President Arroyo announced it would be this month and it was even published that it would be on August 22 (today) but there has been no fixed date yet.”

A Sad Day for Peace

The AJLPP earlier through its national coordinator Mario Santos had expressed serious concern over the ongoing war in Mindanao that the Philippine armed forces in Basilan and Sulu is waging. The all-out offensive supposed to be against the ASG have claimed more than 100 lives in three separate clashes since the second week of July.

The AJLPP condemned the lack of sincerity on the part of the US-Arroyo regime in pursuing the peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and implementing its 1996 peace agreement with the MNLF in Sulu.

The AJLPP also condemned the brazen puppetry of the US-Arroyo regime by letting the active participation of US Special Forces operatives in the AFP operations in Mindanao. The Agence France Press (AFP) took footages and pictures of US Special forces leading the Philippine military in their operations in the island of Sulu.
It bring backs the colonial days of US military leading Philippine Constabulary scouts against the Muslims in Sulu during the Pacification campaign led by US generals John Pershing and Leonard Wood in the early 1900’s.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is acting more like Marcos and Estrada, eager to ingratiate herself to the Americans by being active in the US-sponsored “War on Terror”.

By focusing in Mindanao, the fascist puppet is paving the way of opening up Mindanao’s rich mineral and forest resources to the US imperialist corporations while trying to quell the people’s resistance against foreign intervention.

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