Misuari wants M'danao conflict resolved or else..

MANILA, Philippines - Former rebel leader Nur Misuari on Wednesday urged the government to stop what he described as a "massacre" of civilians in southern Philippines or he would be forced to seek "other means" to solve the problem. Interviewed by reporters after holding talks with the government peace panel and diplomats of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Misuari lamented that despite the series of negotiations, the government still failed to stop skirmishes in Mindanao. "You have no right massacre our people. You resort to all kinds of weapons. Break cycle of tragedy, misery in our homeland otherwise MNLF will be left with no choice but to seek other means of [resolving] the problem," he said. Misuari, former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is the founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which was the largest secessionist organization in the country before it signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996. Misuari warned that this would be the “last chance” that the MNLF would give the government to prove that it is working on the implementation of peace in Mindanao. “Decide on what line of action they will take in response to the outcome of the peace talks here. If we don’t achieve anything meaningful here then what’s the use of pursuing? It’s useless,” Misuari said. But Undersecretary Nabil Tan of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) countered Misuari’s “frustrated” allegations on alleged state-sponsored massacres. "I take that as a personal expression of his frustration. He’s been here since day one so we understand the context of what he’s saying. But certainly the government denies any accusation of any massacre, if there are ongoing fighting it’s purely law enforcement or against lawless elements not directed to the MNLF," said Tan. Tan also assured that the government is doing its best to pursue peace in the area Misuari and Tan, together with diplomats of the OIC attended the tripartite meeting to discuss the five joint working groups (JWGs) as bases for the possible amendment of Republic Act No. 9054, the organic law of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanuglo was not present at the meeting. He was however represented by Ambassador Sayyed Kaseem El-Masry, OIC Director Talal Daus, Director Taher Saif, and Ali Demirci, El-Masry's special assistant. El-Masry brushed aside Misuari’s threats, saying the former ARMM governor was “just being himself.” - GMANews.TV