DATE=5/13/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=MINDANAO SOLUTIONS
NUMBER=5-46308
BYLINE=AMY BICKERS
DATELINE=MANILA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: For 21 days, Islamic rebels in the Philippines
have held a group of foreign hostages, bringing
worldwide attention to the Muslim insurgency movement
in the country's Mindanao region. As Amy Bickers
reports from Manila, experts say there are no easy
answers to the long-simmering dispute between the
Muslim minority and the Philippine government.
TEXT: In the Philippines, Mindanao is often called
the Promised Land. But for the minority Muslim
population, its promise remains unfulfilled. Several
Islamic separatist groups -- varying from peaceful to
belligerent -- want autonomy from the Philippines
government. They say that the area is economically
neglected by the government and that the Catholic
majority has never welcomed their involvement in
national affairs.
Manila has said it will never consider partitioning
the country. As Manila-based writer Raissa Robles
explains, the struggle over Mindanao has persisted for
more than 30 years, sometimes simmering, and
frequently boiling over into bloody clashes. She says
it is not a religion-based conflict, but a territorial
battle.
/// ROBLES ACT ///
This is not a Kosovo type of crisis in that you
are seeing Christians and Muslims against each
other. Right now, what we have is government
troops battling Muslim separatists. The first
thing that is very necessary is to rebuild trust
and confidence between the government and Muslim
separatists.
/// END ACT ///
Ms. Robles, who has followed events in Mindanao since
the mid-1980's, says that solving the region's complex
problems lies in increasing contact between the
government of President Joseph Estrada and the leaders
of the Muslim community.
She says that Mr. Estrada lacks the ongoing dialogue
with the country's Muslim minority that his
predecessor, Fidel Ramos, was able to cultivate.
Glenda Gloria is the co-author of "Under the Crescent
Moon," a recent book about the Muslim separatist
movement in the Philippines. She also believes a
solution to this complex dilemma will emerge only if
both sides stop fighting and start talking. She is
doubtful that this will happen soon.
/// GLORIA ACT ///
Of course the military might be able to win this
war in the battlefield, but the nation will pay
a heavy price for it. Mr. Estrada wants a war.
It feeds on his macho image of insisting on
territorial integrity and I do not think
territorial integrity is the issue here.
/// END ACT ///
Ms. Gloria is concerned that the government is
increasing its military build-up in Mindanao to
deflect attention away from other domestic problems,
and to shore up Mr. Estrada's declining popularity.
But she warns that it could have disastrous affects.
Ms. Gloria notes that the frequent battles are deeply
upsetting to the country's entire Muslim community of
more than four-million people, whether they are
moderate or fundamentalist in their beliefs
/// GLORIA ACT ///
It creates a siege mentality, and it complicates
matters, because then the Muslims will say,
"here is the government again trying to finish
us off," and they will end up just helping each
other in the end.
/// END ACT ///
Ms. Gloria is also concerned that the hostage crisis
on the island of Jolo involving a group of mostly
foreign captives is creating more tension by damaging
Mindanao's image around the globe.
/// GLORIA ACT ///
The bigger objective here is that Mindanao is
back to square one. It has again been badly
damaged in terms of image and perception abroad.
The international community is again looking at
Mindanao as a war zone, when in fact, in the
last six years, a lot of gains have been made.
/// END ACT ///
As hostilities continue to spiral, the prospects for
talks appear less likely. Government negotiators are
holding on-again, off-again discussions with the
hostage-takers. But analysts say the burden now lies
with the government to stop the military offensive in
much of Mindanao and to restart serious peace talks
with all the Muslim groups. (SIGNED)
NEB/AB/PLM/JP
13-May-2000 08:57 AM EDT (13-May-2000 1257 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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