AJLPP Mindanao Update
August 14, 2008

STOP THE US-BACKED MILITARY OFFENSIVES, RESUME PEACE TALKS NOW!

Los Angeles—The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) based in the United States calls on the US-Arroyo Regime to stop its military offensives against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) armed forces in the Central Mindanao areas and resume peace talks now.

According to media sources from the Philippines, more than 160,000 people were affected by the fighting between the AFP and the MILF in six towns of central Mindanao. At least 60 AFP troops have been killed since the week-old fighting erupted.

The AJLPP believes that the US-Arroyo regime has no one to blame and is responsible for all the troubles when it went into the motions of signing an aborted MOA on ancestral domain and tried to delayed the ARMM elections.

The “grand scheme” of the US-Arroyo regime is clear: to change the constitution, federalize Mindanao by using the ARMM provision to effect change and perpetuate Arroyo’s illegitimate rule. President Arroyo herself confirmed that the charter change move have started.

The AFP has given the MILF a 24-hour deadline to reposition their troops. But even before the end of the 24 hour deadline, the AFP unleashed heavy air strikes and artillery barrage on supposed MILF positions without warning.

The AJLPP and all its allies in the United States calls on all parties to resume peace talks now and work for the cause of peace. We call of the US-Arroyo regime to stop blaming the MILF and stop all its military operations, air strikes, bombing and artillery shelling, NOW!.

We want peace with justice, now! Resume the peace talks now!