KL meddling will lead to hostilities—Moros

From the Manila Standard Today (Apr 29): KL meddling will lead to hostilities—Moros

THE Bangsamoro Basic Law is a peace deal devised to shut down the historical rights of the Sultanate of Sulu and the political aspirations of the Moro National Liberation Front and Malaysia’s continued intervention could lead to renewed hostilities, Moro leaders said on Wednesday.

Abraham Idjirani, secretary general to the Sultanate of Sulu, said Malaysia’s intervention in the BBL issue is a clear violation of principles and agreements espoused by the Association of South East Asian Nations and could spark war.

Moro National Liberation Front spokesman Absalom Cerveza shared Idjirani’s view and said “war could erupt between Malaysia and armed groups fighting Malaysian forces over the Sabah issue.”

The two Mindanao leaders made the remarks after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said in his welcome remarks at the 26th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur that there should be “no turning back on the Philippines peace process.”

“An Asean characterized by internal conflicts could never aspire to be a true community. To be a community, we must address internal conflicts within our region. This is why we are working with other countries to build peace,” Najib said, citing the Mindanao peace process where Malaysia is a third-party facilitator.

“The recent progress on the Bangsamoro peace process has been so important, and we must not pause in our efforts to bring a permanent resolution to a conflict that has led to so much loss of life and displaced hundreds of thousands over the years,” Najib said.

“[But] that could turning point into hostilities,” Idjirani said, noting that the Sultanate of Sulu would not give up ownership of Sabah.

“In the first place, that is not consistent with the principles and agreements among Asean nations, and it could be labeled an indirect intervention,” Idjirani said, adding that Malaysia was meddling in the issue because they wanted Manila to give up the Sabah claim.

“The BBL is only intended to extinguish the Sabah issue,” Idjirani said, but Malaysia’s politicking over the Sabah issue through the BBL could lead to hostilities between Malaysian forces and Muslim fighters the Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu provinces.

At least twelve members of the Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu, led by Agbimuddin Kiram, younger brother of Sultan Jamalulu Kiram III were killed after stirring security crisis with Malaysian forces after they barged into the coastal village in Lahad Datu sometime in 2013.

Idjirani said Moros are also aware that the BBL was crafted with the sole purpose of striking down “the political aspiration of the Moro National Liberation Front,” the rebel group identified with its founding chairman Nur Misuari.

“In fact, the BBL as advocated by the MILF is already sparking a sense of unity among the disgruntled Moro groups, particularly in the Sulu archipelago,” Idjirani said.

Cerveza, on the other hand, shared Idjirani’s view that “war could erupt between Malaysia and armed groups fighting Malaysian forces over the Sabah issue.”

“The possibility of (war) is always there,” Cerveza said. “I hope not, but the Sultanate and the Tausugs will likely assert their right to Sabah and Sarawak.”

Last week, several MNLF groups had expressed disappointment over the shifting of position by the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani to the BBL, leaving its previous commitment to the MNLF Jakarta peace accord of 1976.

The OIC has issued at least three resolutions backing the MNLF’s peace accord with the government and urging respect and full implementation of the 1976 Jakarta peace accord signed by its 57-members countries.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/04/30/kl-meddling-will-lead-to-hostilities-moros/