MILF: MILF Chairman Ebrahim pays tribute to the late Malaysian Facilitator Dato Tengku Ab Ghafar

Posted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Website (Aug 27): MILF Chairman Ebrahim pays tribute to the late Malaysian Facilitator Dato Tengku Ab Ghafar



In a tribute to the late Malaysian Facilitator Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar Bin Tengku Mohamed, Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Committee acknowledged the contribution of the late Tengku Ab Ghafar who was instrumental in the revival of the peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF after of a long impasse due to the 2000 all-out war.

Speaking during the book launch of “Beyond the Peace Tables: Reflections on the GPH-MILF Peace Process, authored by the late facilitator on August 19 at Camp Darapanan, Chairman Ebrahim disclosed that Dato’ Tenku Ab Ghafar headed the official delegation of emissaries sent by former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad to the MILF leadership then under the late Chairman of MILF Sheik Salamat Hashim sometime in 2000 during the reign of ousted President Joseph Estrada.

When Estrada was overthrown in a people power, President Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo, now Pampanga Representative succeeded him in 2003, Murad recalled bitterness of her government despite her all-out peace policy.

Prodded by her military advisors, Arroyo then ordered government soldiers to attacked Buliok Peace Complex, a community in Pagalungan, Maguindanao during Eid’l Adha prayer.

Forced to defend themselves, MILF Forces fought back and the hostilities escalated that led to displacement of hundreds of thousands of Moro people who fled to safer places.

The MILF Guerillas who are highly trained in guerilla warfare forced Arroyo to adopt a diplomatic approach and requested Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad to convince the MILF leadership to go back to the negotiating table.

Chairman Ebrahim said that paved the way for the sending of three-man delegation led by Dato Tengku Ab Ghafar by Prime Minister Mohammad to contact the MILF.

Chairman Ebrahim also narrated the contributions of Dato’ Tengku’s team who met the late MILF Chairman Salamat, and other senior members of Central Committee in Buliok.

“The MILF leadership was able to encourage by Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar to accept the request of the two heads of states to return to the negotiation on the following conditions:

• A. That there shall be a third-party facilitator either the Organization of Islamic Conference, now Cooperation (OIC) or any of its members’ states;

• B. All prior agreements of the parties from the start of the negotiation in 1997 shall be honored, respected and implemented;

• C. All meetings of the Peace Panels shall be held outside the country;

• D. The ceasefire agreement shall be strengthened and implemented; and

• E. Cases filed against the leaders of the MILF shall be dropped.”

Chairman Ebrahim also narrated in his tribute to Dato Tengku Ab Ghafar that after a series of communications and acceptance of the conditions set by the MILF by the Philippine government, series of meetings were held in Malaysia which were actively participated in by Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar.

“The first meeting of the Peace Panels was held in Tripoli, Libya known as the 2001 Tripoli Agreement of Peace facilitated by Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar,” said Murad.

Among the major accomplishments signed by the two parties during the time of Dato’ Tengku Abdul Ghafar were the 2012 Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) and the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

“But even if Dato’ Tengku Ab Gkafar has passed away, he would continue to inspire us not only for his valuable contributions to the Peace Process but the publication of his book will give us more wisdom and will remain to be the handy, compact repository of thoughts amidst the onslaughts of information one can easily access nowadays from various media outlet,” the MILF Chieftain said.

Chairman Ebrahim also said further, “Undeniably over the course of the 17 years of negotiations, we have nurtured not only professional relationship with Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar whose advise we always value, respect and cherish.”

“We shall truly miss Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar. He would be forever remembered by the Bangsamoro and the Filipinos for successfully steering the 17-year old negotiations into a concrete peace agreement between the MILF and the GPH,” he said.

“With this book, it is a though, he is still around to share our struggle for the realization of our legitimate aspirations. May Allah showers His Mercy on the late Datu Tengku Abdul Ghafar as well as upon his family; May Allah reward him for all his good deeds”, Murad conveyed in a solemn gathering held in MILF administrative camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat Maguindanao on May 19, 2017.

The program was attended by the family of Dato’ Tengku Ab Ghafar and the newly designated Malaysian Facilitator and Special Advisor to the GPH-MILF Peace Process Dato Kamarudin Bin Mustafa, his past colleagues in the peace process former GPH Chief Negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and OPAPP Secretary Tersita “Ging” Deles.

Also present in the launching were USec. Nabil Tan, MILF Peace Implementing Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal, prominent members of the MILF Central Committee, Dr. Emma Leslie of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and other members of International Communities, NGOs and CSOs leaders’, and members of Media.

http://www.luwaran.com/news/article/978/milf-chairman-ebrahim-pays-tribute-to-the-late-malaysian-facilitator-dato-tengku-ab-ghafar