I have stated many times before that every time there is any type of "peace process" in Mindanao it causes some new outbreak of violence.
The same thing has happened now. That bomb blast last Sunday by the Abu Sayyaf Group that killed 20 people comes on the heels of yet another "lasting peace agreement' that was "voted" in a referendum recently.
In each event, one or more parties get sidelined. Then to grab attention the sidelined groups explode bombs, attack towns, attack Sabah etc. Sidelined simply means they do not get any money. Its all about money.
That Lahad Datu attack in Sabah (by the Suluks) was sparked by our own Super Moron getting himself involved in another botched up peace agreement in Mindanao. The Abu Sayaf and Nur Misuari were left out. So they attacked Sabah.
The infamous siege of Marawi that lasted for FIVE MONTHS in 2017 was a fight between the Abu Sayyaf, the BangsaMoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, some other local terrorists on one side with the Philippine government, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camped on the other side.
I can only guess that this latest "lasting peace" referendum benefits the same aligned groups and leaves the same bad guys out in the rain.
Hence that bomb blast last Sunday. Here is some news :
landmark referendum in Mindanao could bring respite to Sabah
Muslim region on the boil since 1974
voted the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)
BARMM would bring lasting peace to troubled region, to Sabah as well.
(OSTB : I dont think so.)
- unprecedented rights granted by Manila to BARMM
- self-governance, shariah law for cases involving Muslims
- 75:25 wealth-sharing term in favour of BARMM
- revenue shared in same ratio between region and federal government
- 5% annual grant from Philippines’ entire revenue
- in terms of financial inclusion, it will really benefit them
- most extensive autonomous arrangement for the region.
My comments : Shariah law? From the frying pan straight into the fires of hell. Club of doom. This is too stupid to even comprehend.
75:25 wealth sharing? By who? Payable to who? From who?
"shared between the region" ?? What does that mean?
Are they going to have an elected regional government? Will they collect their own taxes? Distribute their own taxes?
Do they have any experience in collecting taxes and using tax revenues for the benefit of the people?
There is a small issue called 'corruption'. Have they solved that part of the equation yet?
Taxes are not going to get collected. If they collect taxes, there is going to be massive corruption. Have you heard of a country called the Philippines? Very corrupt.
What about the Abu Sayyaf, the BIFF, the Ansarul Khalifah and other such terrorists groups? Can they collect taxes too?
Here is a more sober assessment of the situation in Mindanao from CNN :
(CNN) Less than two years after Marawi, extremism returns to Mindanao
2017 militants laid siege to Marawi in Mindanao for five months.
350,000 residents fled homes reduced to rubble
Many remain displaced 16 month after fighting ended
Mindanao sliding into violence, two bombings past week
Despite historic deal to provide autonomy
ten battalions -- 5,000 soldiers -- hunt for bombing suspects
Ajang Ajang cell in Abu Sayyaf Group suspected of Sunday's attack
Ommal Usop, Ajang Ajang member, killed Tuesday
group remained resilient even after Marawi
Abu Sayyaf has deep roots in local population
Moro community directly benefits from Abu Sayyaf
in terms of income, social status and political power
Mindanao among Philippines' least-developed areas
Mindanao lowest per capita GDP in entire Philippines
government doesn't function in Sulu, Mindanao
Historical injustice
feelings of neglect compounded by historical injustice
ethnic Moro have "sensitivities" concerning other Filipinos
which can easily hinder military operations.
Moro long felt occupied -- difficult to win hearts and minds of people
"Decades -- if not centuries -- of grievances led to acceptance of jihad
problem much more ingrained and intractable
going to have problems in the Philippines as far as we can see
My comments : government doesn't function in Sulu, Mindanao
This is exactly the point. Effectively there is no government in Sulu and Mindanao. It has been that way since Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
So how is this new agreement or referendum on autonomy going to translate into real everyday issues like collecting taxes equitably, using the tax money for proper economic development etc?
They are arguing about autonomy in a region that has little of government offices and government machinery.
This is what is going to happen : the local warlords are going to start collecting their own taxes. Followed soon after by more fighting.
Sabah better be prepared.
Then here is the other much bigger problem - ethnic Moro have "sensitivities" concerning other Filipinos.
This is an understatement. This is another way of saying the Moros do not consider themselves Filipinos.
I have met educated Moros who say that Manila 'belongs' to the Moros.
They say that before the Spanish colonisation, Manila was known as 'Fi Amanillah' (in Allah's grace). The Spaniards shortened it to Manila.
These folks are still fighting the Battle of Mactan of 1521. It was actually a skirmish between Ferdinand Magellan's murderous sailors and the local Moro Muslim people. Ferdinand Magellan himself was killed in that battle.
Mindanao is a wild and crazy place.
They will need wild and crazy ideas to effect positive change.
The first thing that is needed (and which is lacking) are good intentions.
No one seems to have really good intentions to bring economic progress and a lasting peace in the Moro lands.
This place would qualify as one of Donald Trump's 'sh*t hole' places on earth.
So far these folks do not seem to know how to wipe their own asses.
To expect them to be able to solve their own problems seems a very long shot.
The Muslim countries and ASEAN should organise a special program to progress the Moro.
Money is needed. Not much. There are only FIVE MILLION Moros in Mindanao.
Even US$1 Billion is plenty. The Muslim countries can fund this amount.
But the aid money must be handled through ASEAN.
They urgently need job and economic opportunities.
Thinking more outside the box, there should be another program to 'airlift' say 5,000 young Moros (including girls) annually from Mindanao and send them to modern and progressive environments like Australia, Singapore even China and Vietnam to attend two year training programs in vocational skills, engineering skills, technician training, hospitality industry, computers, etc. Say for FIVE years. This is more urgent.
They must create a critical number of young people among the Moros who have escaped their very backward environment and gone and seen the rest of the real world to bring back new ideas, new language skills, new technologies and new skills which they can put to good use.
The Moros need a thorough change in mindset.
There is no point in harping over how Lapu Lapu killed Magellan in 1521.
That was 400 years ago.
That was 400 years ago.
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