This document discusses the root causes and current status of the conflict between the Government of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. It outlines the historical drivers of the conflict including the dispossession of Muslim lands, discrimination, and failure to deliver services. It describes the phases of struggle from peaceful assertions of rights to an armed conflict that has cost over 50,000 lives. Current approaches to resolving the conflict include negotiations between the government and Moro liberation fronts, with some progress made but disagreements remaining on territory and constitutional process.
This document discusses the root causes and current status of the conflict between the Government of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. It outlines the historical drivers of the conflict including the dispossession of Muslim lands, discrimination, and failure to deliver services. It describes the phases of struggle from peaceful assertions of rights to an armed conflict that has cost over 50,000 lives. Current approaches to resolving the conflict include negotiations between the government and Moro liberation fronts, with some progress made but disagreements remaining on territory and constitutional process.
This document discusses the root causes and current status of the conflict between the Government of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. It outlines the historical drivers of the conflict including the dispossession of Muslim lands, discrimination, and failure to deliver services. It describes the phases of struggle from peaceful assertions of rights to an armed conflict that has cost over 50,000 lives. Current approaches to resolving the conflict include negotiations between the government and Moro liberation fronts, with some progress made but disagreements remaining on territory and constitutional process.
This document discusses the root causes and current status of the conflict between the Government of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro people in Mindanao. It outlines the historical drivers of the conflict including the dispossession of Muslim lands, discrimination, and failure to deliver services. It describes the phases of struggle from peaceful assertions of rights to an armed conflict that has cost over 50,000 lives. Current approaches to resolving the conflict include negotiations between the government and Moro liberation fronts, with some progress made but disagreements remaining on territory and constitutional process.
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CONFLICT IN MINDANAO
Root Causes and Status
ABHOUD SYED M. LINGGA
Institute of Bangsamoro Studies
Asia DCHS Regional Workshop on Towards Liberating Democracy: Devolution of Power Matters Organized by International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance and Mahidol University Research Center on Peace Building Siam City Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand January 16-17, 2007 Conflict situation in Mindanao
Government forces MILF Forces Sovereignty-based
Government forces MNLF Forces Sovereignty-based
Comunist Party Government forces Ideology-based (CPP/NPA)
Government forces Abu Sayaf/JI Terrorism
Government forces Criminal elements Criminality
Clan/family Clan/family Rido (Clan conflict)
Scope of presentation This presentation is limited to the conflict between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Bangsamoro people. Specifically, between the GRP and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Who are the conflicting parties? The Government of the Republic of the Philippines
The Bangsamoro people
Representative bodies: Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Who are the Bangsamoro?
The Muslims who
traditionally inhabited Mindanao, the islands of Basilan, Palawan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi call themselves Bangsamoro. Muslims in Mindanao and Palawan (2000)
Muslims, 3,689,668 , 22%
Others, 12,956,693 , 78%
Total Population of Mindanao and Palawan (2000) - 16,646,361
Provinces where Muslims are majority
LANAO DEL SUR BASILAN SULU TAWI-TAWI MAGUINDANAO
MINDANAO Conflict-affected areas
Provinces Provinces Muslims are majority Muslims are significant minority
North Cotabato Sultan Kudarat Lanao del Sur Lanao del Norte Zamboanga del Sur Maguindanao Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga Sibugay Basilan South Cotabato Davao del Sur Sulu Davao Oriental Compostela Valley Tawi-Tawi Sarangani Palawan Nature of the conflict Sovereignty-based Bangsamoro claim for separate independent state of their own
Assertion of their right to determine their
political status since their incorporation to the Philippine state was without their plebicitary consent. Drivers Their historical awareness that before the formation of the Philippine state, the Bangsamoro people had their independent governments. Their unpleasant experiences under the Philippine unitary state. Experiences Under the Philippines Strong bias and prejudice of the Christian majority towards the Muslims Filipinas Foundation study (1973) Muslim-Filipinos were the least likeable ethnic group 54% of respondents had unfavorable comments towards Muslims Philippine Human Development Report (2005) 33% to 39% of Filipinos are biased against Muslims 46% of Christian population would choose Christian male worker and 40% Christian female domestic helper. Only 4% will choose a Muslim male worker and 7% Muslim female domestic helper. In Metro Manila 57 percent opt for residence with higher rent but far from a Muslim community. Experiences Under the Philippines
Minoritization of the Bangsamoro in
their own homeland
In 1918, the Muslims were dominant in
Mindanao but government settlement and development programs reduced them, together with the Indigenous peoples, minority in their homeland. Muslim Traditional Homeland Muslim Majority Areas 2000 Census Experiences Under the Philippines
Failure of the Government
to protect the interest of the Bangsamoro people over their lands. Worst still, government development programs are among the reasons why they lost their lands to migrants from the north. Public Land Law and Resettlement
Allowed Number of Hectares
Year Homesteader Moro and Corporation Wild Tribe No 1903 16 has. provision 1,024 has.
1919 24 has. 10 has. 1,024 has.
1936 16 has. 4 has. 1,024 has.
Experiences Under the Philippines
Failure of Government to deliver basic
services and needed development
Muslim areas continue to suffer the highest
poverty incidence.
. Incidence of Poor Families
80
60
40
20
0 1997 2000 Lanao Sur 55.6 55 Maguindanao 41.6 55 Sulu 67.1 63.2 Tawi-Tawi 35 56.5 Basilan 20.9 26.2 Human Development Index, 2003 National Rank Provinces HDI 76 Maguindanao 0.36 68 Lanao del Sur 0.48 77 Sulu 0.45 74 Basilan 0.41 75 Tawi-Tawi 0.36
Note: The HDI is a summary measure of human development. It measures the average achievement in a country in three basic dimensions of human development, namely: Longevity as measured by life expectancy at birth; Knowledge, as measured by basic enrollment ratio; Standard of Llving, as measured by real income per capita (Philippine Human Development Report, 2005, UNDP Source: Human Development Report 2005 (UNDP) Experiences Under the Philippines
Failure of Government to protect their
persons and properties Reported massacres of Muslims remain unsolved until now (e.g., massacres in Manili, Tacub, Malisbung, Pata island) Reported bombings of mosques remain unsolved. Phases of Bangsamoro struggle
Peaceful struggle Armed struggle Peaceful assertions When the U.S. planned to grant independence to the Philippines, Bangsamoro leaders petitioned the U.S. government that the Bangsamoro territories should not be included in the would-be Philippine Republic.
June 9, 1921- petition of the people of Sulu
February 1, 1924 - Declaration of Rights and Purposes (Zamboanga declaration) March 18, 1935 - Dansalan Declaration
When their territories were made part of the Philippine Republic
in 1946, the Bangsamoro people continue to assert their right to independence through peaceful means
Amilbangsa Bill (H.B. 5682)
Mindanao Independence Movement Triggers to the armed conflict
Emergence of government-backed anti-
Muslim militia, the Ilaga.
Declaration of martial law
Costs of the conflict
50,000 deaths 2 million refugees 535 mosques destroyed 200 schools demolished 35 cities and towns destroyed Costs of the conflict Government spent P76 billion from 1970- 1996 In year 2000 all-out war against the MILF, Government spent no less than P6 billion Economic output lost directly $2 billion to $3 billion from 1970-2001 (about P5 billion to P7.5 billion annually) Approaches to resolve the conflict
1. Negotiations
2. Third party facilitation
3. Monitoring implementation of agreements Approaches to resolve the conflict 1. Negotiations 1.1 GRP-MNLF Negotiations (1975-1996) 1976 Tripoli Agreement Framework for autonomous region for Muslims in Southern Philippines 1996 Final Peace Accord Details of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement framework. Ceasefire agreements Disagreements on the implementation of the 1996 Peace Accord No benchmark No workable mechanism in monitoring implementation of agreement Approaches to resolve the conflict 1. Negotiations 1.2 GRP-MILF Negotiations (1997-present) Major aspects Security (ceasefire) Humanitarian, rehabilitation and development Commitment to observe international humanitarian laws and respect human rights Rehabilitation and development of conflict affected areas Ancestral domain Approaches to resolve the conflict 1. Negotiations 1.2 GRP-MILF Negotiations (1997-present)
Ceasefire holds Ceasefire mechanism in placed Implementing guidelines on rehabilitation and development signed The issue of ancestral domain is under discussion Approaches to resolve the conflict 1. Negotiations 1.2 GRP-MILF Negotiations (1997-present) Discussions on the issue of ancestral domain is divided into four strands Concept Territory Resources Governance Approaches to resolve the conflict 1. Negotiations 1.2 GRP-MILF Negotiations (1997-present) Consensus on major issues in the four strands were reached by GRP and MILF Empasse in the negotiations due to disagreements on territory and issue on constitutional process GRP offers to grant self-determination to the Bangsamoro people, and to hold referendum in the future to determine their political status. Approaches to resolve the conflict 2. Third party facilitation 2.1 GRP-MNLF Negotiations Organization of Islamic Conference OIC Secretariate OIC Quadripartite Commission/Committee of the Six/Committee of the Eight Libya Indonesia 2.2 GRP-MILF Negotiations Malaysia Approaches to resolve the conflict 2. Third party facilitation Importance of third party facilitation Involvement of third party, as experience in Mindanao peace process demonstrates, is valuable to bring together conflicting parties to talk peace. When negotiations are at a stalemate, third party intervention is useful to break the deadlock. Approaches to resolve the conflict 3. Monitoring (GRP-MILF Negotiations) Local monitoring team (LMT) Coordinating Committees on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) - Coordinates action against criminal groups International Monitoring Team (IMT) Monitors implementation of ceasefire and socio-economic assistance in conflict-affected communities Malaysia Brunei Libya Japan (socio-economic) Approaches to resolve the conflict
3. Monitoring
The presence of the IMT significantly
reduced armed encounters between Government forces and MILF forces 700 Armed 698 Skirmishes (GRP & MILF Forces)
600 559
500
400
300
200
100
15 10
0 2002 2003 2004 2005 Effects of the conflict to democratic practices Security Inadequate security Lack of security becomes incentive for many to join vigilantes groups (private provision of security without effective public oversight) Human rights violations
Weak rule of law
Effects of the conflict to democratic practices Governance Conflict being uses as excuse in lack or inefficient delivery of social services Hampers transparency in running the affairs of government Hinders eradication of corruption Toughens political patronage Effects of the conflict to democratic practices Slow down economic development in confict affected areas Destruction of infrastructures during war
Disincentive to investments that are
needed for job creation Conclusion For sovereignty-based conflicts, power sharing is the win-win solution.
Decisions on power sharing
arrangements should be worked out through negotiations.
