Mindanao Peace Program

Peace in Mindanao remains to be elusive despite the Final Peace Agreement between the Philippines Government and the Moro Nation Liberation Front (MNLF) signed in 1996. This time, the government is negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and with Malaysia taking the critical mediator role. Since February 2003, the conflict escalated in Central Mindanao as the Philippine government pursues a strong “anti-terrorism” campaign implicating the MILF and putting the peace process in limbo. However, with the help of an intensified peace movement and advocacy in Mindanao and the mediator’s supportive role, and the presence of an International Monitoring Team, both parties are slowly gaining pace in resuming the round of peace talks to be held in Kuala Lumpur. The Mindanao Conflict situation is a case of special interest and relevance within the region that requires resolution. A peaceful Mindanao is the key to the economic well-being and political stability of the Philippine nation and security in neighboring Malaysia.

The establishment of a Mindanao Peace Program provides a knowledge base on the Mindanao Conflict situation in Malaysia. It promotes collaboration among individuals and organizations keen on bringing peace and development to the people of Mindanao. An initial and very significant intervention of the Research and Education for Peace (REPUSM) was its participation in the “Bantay Ceasefire” or Ceasefire Watch as the grassroots peacekeeping mission in Mindanao organized by the Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC) on January 6-12, 2003. In a report, REPUSM has highly recommended the need for Malaysia, being the third party facilitator/mediator in the GRP-MILF Peace Process, to fully extend its role by organizing an “international monitoring team.” The creation for this entity would be very important in maintaining the ceasefire between the conflict actors. This proposal also elicited much support among civil society groups in Mindanao who have intensely campaigned for its realization. Consequently, the International Monitoring Team (IMT) lead by Malaysia, and participated by Libya and Brunei, was officially deployed in Mindanao on October 10, 2004. Through the MPP, the REPUSM has shared its knowledge to the IMT by giving preparatory briefings (as part of the trainings of the Malaysian Peacekeeping Center Program, Port Dickson) to the Malaysian Contingent before their deployment to Mindanao in 2005 and 2006. Since, REPUSM through its MPP, has constantly followed on the progress and evaluated the IMT peacekeeping mission in Mindanao as a vital component to the ongoing peace process. It continues to be proactive in providing knowledge and skills to the IMT. In May 23-26, 2006, REPUSM participated as a co-trainer for the IMT in a “Conflict Management Training for Sustainable Peace in Mindanao” organized by the Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (IBS) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) held in Cotabato City, Philippines.