MILF: GPH, MILF 33rd Exploratory Talks to commence in KL today

From the MILF Website (Nov 12): GPH, MILF 33rd Exploratory Talks to commence in KL today

After the historic signing of the GPH-MILF Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Manila last October 15, the government and MILF peace panels are again back to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur for the 33rd GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks which is slated to wind up on November 18. This will be 7-day grueling session with both parties tackling power-sharing, wealth-sharing, and normalization. Both parties are expected to be in full delegation including members of the newly constituted technical working group on normalization. The MILF delegation included three women and two members of the indigenous tribes. However, two members of the MILF peace panel and one from its secretariat will not be present during this meeting. Atty. Michael Mastura, Roberto “Maulana” Alonto, and Muhajirin Ali will be part of the powerhouse MILF delegation to the Foreign Ministers’ Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which will be held in Djibouti starting November 15. MNLF Chairman Nur Misuari will also attend the Djibouti meeting. Abdulla Camlian, a member of the MILF peace panel, described the meeting today as very tough especially on the matters of policing, decommissioning, and gradual redeployment of government forces. “I don’t expect a smooth-sailing on the issue of normalization; there will be no breakthrough at least during this meeting,” Camlian told Luwaran early today. He also disclosed that the two peace panels have less to do during this meeting, saying the real hard works belong to the three technical working groups, which, he added, are expected to deliver in the face of the overwhelming support of the people and the international community to the peace process after the signing of the celebrated Agreement in Manila last month. He also said that the two parties will discuss the issues of the MILF “political detainees”, inter-governmental relationship, transitional arrangement and modalities or political road map, third party monitoring team, independent commission on policing, multi-trust fund, and joint normalization committee. “Some if not all of these issues are still not easy pricking,” he confessed. It is also expected that the parties will discuss the status of the 15-man Transition Commission which will be constituted after President Benigno Aquino III issued the Executive Order for its creation.

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