New Malaysian IMT contingent arrives in Mindanao

The new Malaysian contingent to an international body monitoring the peace process in Mindanao arrived in the Philippines over the weekend and started its tour of duty immediately. Led by Maj. Gen. Dato’ Mahdi Bin Yusof and First Admiral Hj Mohd Adib Bin Abdul Samad of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the new batch arrived Saturday in Cotabato City, according to an article posted on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) website Sunday. “I was really moved and touched right the start of arrival with the warm welcome from both the government and MILF. I feel very much at home and would like to call Mindanao as our second home from now on," the article quoted Mahdi as saying. “We assure you of our fullest professionalism and neutrality as we work together to realize the aspiration for long lasting peace and unity in this region," he added. The MILF said the contingent, which will be part of the sixth batch of the International Monitoring Team (IMT), will have a one-year tour of duty monitoring on the ground the peace process between the Philippine government and the MILF, the largest secessionist organization in the Philippines. Mahdi and Mohd Adib are the head of mission and deputy head of mission, respectively, with Mahdi replacing Maj. Gen. Datuk Baharom bin Hamzah. Joining them were some 11 ranking officers from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and three from the Royal Malaysian Police. Three civilian officers from the Malaysian government will be joining Mahdi early next month, increasing the number of the Malaysian contingent with IMT to 20. Aside from the three Malaysian civilian officers, an additional Japanese officer, and a 10-member Indonesian contingent will be coming soon to join the IMT, the MILF said. Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono initially announced his country’s participation in the IMT during his bilateral talk with President Benigno Aquino III, who made a state visit to Indonesia from March 8 to 9. “At the bilateral meeting, President Yudyohono told [Aquino] that Indonesia will join IMT to reciprocate the Philippine peacekeeping assistance in Aceh," said Deles, referring to Philippines’ participation in the monitoring if the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on August 15, 2005 in Helsinki, Finland. Deles said the Philippine government is still waiting for an official communication from the Indonesian government about its participation in the IMT. Currently, the Malaysia-led IMT has 17 Malaysians, 15 Bruneians, two Libyans, one Japanese, two Norwegians, two from European Union, and hundreds of civilian protection monitors from the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC), Mindanao Human Rights Action Center (MinHRAC), and Moslem Organization of Government Employees and Professionals (MOGOP).