Philipines Send Troops to South
After ‘a major upsurge of Muslim separatist violence’ in the south of the Philipines, the government sent at least a thousand troops to the region in order to protect communities and help in relief efforts.
Military spokesman Brigadier-General Jorge Segovia said two infantry battalions have been redeployed to Mindanao in recent days.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) raided several Christian villages last month, leaving many civilians dead and displacing around 280,000.
Last month was a particularly deadly month, but the MILF has been active in this region for a long time. The last week was quiet because of Ramadan; Moslems fast during a 30-day period. Not only do Moslems fast from sunrise to sunset, they also refrain from having sex and refrain from fighting (wars).
The government of the Philipines offered a 10 million pesos (213 000 dollar) bounty for the two leaders of the MILF rebellion. As of yet, however, Ameril Umbrakato and Abdurahman Macapaar remain on the run and orchestrating more violence.
The violence boomed after the Supreme Court issed a write last month against a draft peace proposal between the MILF and the government that would grant Moslems a self-rule area that would be led by the extremist MILF. Since then, ‘President Gloria Arroyo has since disbanded the government’s peace negotiating team.’
Some reports that the rebels block food aid from arriving in the battered region. Christians there are in need of water and food, but the MILF is reportedly making it impossible for the UN to give it to them. The military said it was checking those reports and, if found to be true, said it would do everything in its power to make sure Christians in Mindanao receive all the support they need.
