MILF: MILF negotiators invited to Japan

From the MILF Website (Jan 19): MILF negotiators invited to Japan

The six-man MILF negotiating team, including its alternate member, is invited to Japan by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, a source told Luwaran today. If the invitation pushes through, the trip would be in March this year.

In a talk with an MILF official, who was not identified in the report, it was disclosed that the MILF accepted the invitation in principle but failed to provide the names, citing overlapping of schedules due to increasing volume of activities of the MILF peace panel. The group, the same official said, will have to determine whether the whole team will go or a half of it will stay.

Currently the members of the MILF peace panel are as follows: Mohagher Iqbal, chairperson, Atty. Michael Mastura, Bobby Alonto, Abhoud Syed Lingga, and Abdulla Camlian. Datu Antonio Kinoc is alternate member. The itinerary of the group includes visiting various ministries to show and learn how the Japanese systems work. They will talk to some Japanese officials.

Muhammad Ameen, chairperson of the MILF Secretariat and speaking for the MILF central committee, thanked the Japanese government for the invitation. He said MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, when appraised of the gesture of the Japanese government, was upbeat of their continuing support to the peace and development in Mindanao especially the new Bangsamoro region.

The government of Japan has been very active in supporting the GPH-MILF peace negotiation as early as 2004 when Japan accepted membership to the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and later in the International Contact Group (ICG). Japan also heads the Socio-economic Component of the IMT. Moreover, it also contributed millions of dollars to relief, rehabilitation, and humanitarian projects in conflict affected areas in Mindanao.

On August 4, 2011, President Benigno Aquino III and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim met in Tokyo, Japan, in what observers had provided the impetus to hasten the speed of their peace talks that led first to the signing of the Ten-point Decision Points on Principles on April 10, 2012 and finally the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro on October 15, 2012.

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