Japan extends stay of its watchers to GRP-MILF peace talks

In response to an appeal made recently by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), Japan has decided to extend until February 2011 the stay of its contingent to the international team monitoring peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao. The Japanese government said its contingent to the International Monitoring Team (IMT) will extend its stay to February 2011, the embassy said in an article posted Tuesday night on its website. "The Government of Japan has decided to extend the tour of duty of Japan's IMT contingent in response to the request of the Philippine Government for the IMT to stay for another three months from December 9, 2010," the Embassy said. On Dec. 2, the Philippine government requested that the Malaysian-led international peace monitors extend their watch for another three months. Since the international team was formed in 2002, it has monitored the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between the national government and the MILF. It has also encouraged the peace process through development and rehabilitation projects that address some of the root causes of the conflicts. Unless it is given a new mandate, the IMT will end its tour of duty on December 9 and its 39 members will depart Mindanao for their respective countries. The IMT’s one-year mandate is covered by the Terms of Reference signed by the two parties in Kuala Lumpur on December 9, 2009. Fifth IMT contingent The current IMT, headed by Maj. Gen. Datuk Baharom bin Hamzah, is the fifth contingent sent over since 2004 by the governments of Malaysia, Libya, Brunei and Japan. Norway and the European Union recently accepted the invitation to join the IMT, extended by both the Philippine government and the MILF. IMT-5 is comprised of 39 delegates. Japan joined the IMT in October 2006 as the team’s first non-Muslim member country. Since then, Japan has been dispatching two experts on the reconstruction and development of Mindanao, as part of the socio-economic component of the IMT, while the EU serves as the lead monitor of the humanitarian, rehabilitation and development agreement. The team’s security component is made up of 20 members from Malaysia, 15 from Brunei and three from Libya. International Contact Group Japan has participated in the Mindanao peace process by serving as member of theInternational Contact Group (ICG) tasked to attend and observe face-to-face negotiations between the MILF and the Philippine government, to conduct visits, exchange views, and give advice to both parties and to help resolve substantive issues that crop up in the course of the peace talks. Japan has also participated in Mindanao development efforts by launching the Japan Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) in December 2006, the Japanese embassy also said. The J-BIRD aims to enable the people and the communities in the conflict-affected areas to enjoy the “dividends of peace." Under the J-BIRD, Japan has implemented Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects, amounting to approximately Y11.23 billion (P5.92 billion), through various schemes such as grant aid, technical cooperation, loan aid, and the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). As for the GGP under the J-BIRD, Japan has implemented 40 projects, amounting to approximately Y313 million (P160.73 million). "The projects include construction or rehabilitation of schools, training centers, water supply systems, health centers, and provision of post-harvest facilities and equipment," the Japanese embassy said. Deadlock, back channeling The MILF is the largest group battling for self-rule in Mindanao. A final peace agreement is expected to end the protracted war in Mindanao that has claimed at least 120,000 lives, displaced at least 300,000, brought massive destruction to property, and crippled the region’s economy. Peace talks between the government and the MILF bogged down in 2008 after an expanded Muslim homeland agreement that would have enlarged the MILF’s area of control was declared illegal by the Supreme Court in August 2008. After more than a year of impasse, back-door negotiations led to a revival of formal negotiations in December 2009 under the government of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The two parties are deadlocked over the composition of the panel members who will conduct the formal peace negotiations, but Malaysia is currently hosting back-channel talks that may break that impasse.—DM/JV, GMANews.TV