Moro disarmament body set to convene

From the Manila Standard Today (Jan 4): Moro disarmament body set to convene

THE Independent Decommissioning Body that will oversee the phased demilitarization of weapons of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front will convene this month to start the process of normalization ahead of the congressional approval of the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

The IDB, which was formed in talks between the government and MILF in Kuala Lumpur last October, will include Ambassador Haydar Berk from Turkey, Jan Erik Wilhemsen from Norway, Maj. Muhammad Aiman Syazwi Haji Abdul Rahim from Brunei and four locals.

Lawyer Al Jukifli, a member of the GPH peace panel, said a ceremonial turn-over of 75 weapons will be held at the MILF camp in Barangay Simuay in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, as announced by MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal last year.

But Julkifli stressed that the decommissioning process should not be considered a surrender of firearms because it will have to apply to the peculiarities of particular localities.

The MILF had earlier announced that the ceremonial turnover was only meant to be a “a sign of good faith” and the next decommissioning of 30 percent of MILF firearms will take place by April 2015 or as soon as the Bangsamoro Basic Law is passed into law.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/01/04/moro-disarmament-body-set-to-convene/